Former British Number 1 Jennifer Brady expressed her satisfaction that Nadal is the first person to win 21 Grand Slams because he is a big fan of the Spaniards.
“I know it’s hard to believe. Everyone would have thought that Novak would be the first to hit 21 but I’m happy it’s Rafa, I’m a huge Rafa fan. I absolutely adore him and he’s an idol. I was happy to see him play in Acapulco.” Brady He said it while speaking to the Tennis Channel.
Like Brady, everyone believed Djokovic would be the first to win 21 Majors and break the triple bond he formed with Federer and Nadal, who turned 20 last year. However, Serbian dreams of winning the record 10th Australian Open crown were dashed when he was expelled before the tournament even started. He’s been the last 3 times champion at the Melbourne Major and could have been a favorite to win had he been allowed to compete. But ultimately, World Number 1 stuck to its strict no-vaccination stance and faced the consequences of its decision.
Yet he could not have hoped for a better start for Nadal. After being off the field for most of the year with a foot injury, Mallorcan made a spectacular comeback by winning the ATP Melbourne Summer Set 1 and subsequently winning a second Australian Open title. With this win, he currently tops the list of most Grand Slams won in men’s singles with 21.
Djokovic and Nadal set to take action next week
Novak Djokovic will finally start the 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championships next week. After missing the Australian hard court season, the Serbian player will play his first match of the year when he faces Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round in Dubai. He has won the tournament five times and will enter the lottery as the first seed.
Nadal is also gearing up to take action and play his first match since his historic Australian Open win last month. He will play at the Mexican Open in Acapulco and will start his campaign with an opening match against Riley Opelka. The Spaniard is undefeated this year and has won two titles so far and is looking to add a third, but has a tough road ahead in a stacked field with 5 of the top 10 players.
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