From ESPN.com…
On a weekend where the NFL began to bid farewell to one GOAT, men’s tennis crowned its greatest ever — for the time being at least. Rafael Nadal’s triumph at the Australian Open puts him at 21 Grand Slam titles, one ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
It’s tennis’ equivalent of being the first to summit Everest, or reach the Challenger Deep — Nadal out on his own, on a level of success no other man has achieved in the sport. But it is a fascinating, divisive barometer of success: The GOAT debate in men’s tennis is incredibly subjective and stretches beyond the mere detail of Grand Slam singles titles.
His five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev was up there with Nadal’s greatest triumphs. He had to come back from two sets down, in a match in which the momentum swung between the two, only to find another gear just as Medvedev started feeling the toil of the match. Nadal’s forehand is legendary, but he has brought so much more to his game. Despite the increasing aches and pains, he forced Medvedev around the court with drop shots and top-spin forehands to sew up a 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory. It was an astonishing display of endurance and tactical brilliance.
