Australian Open victors crowned — Ash Barty and Rafael Nadal emerge as the best of the best
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After a gruelling three-week-long tournament, the winners of the Australian Open have been crowned.
Australia's Ashleigh Barty snatched her first Australian Open championship victory after she triumphed over American Danielle Collins on Saturday.
Ashleigh Barty lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on Rod Laver Arena following her victory over America’s Danielle Collins on Saturday. Credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images.
The win is Barty's third major single title following her victories at the 2019 French Open and Wimbledon 2020.
Additionally, the world number one broke the 44-year title drought for Australia in the women's singles category in Melbourne, with Christine O'Neil winning the title in 1978.
Barty is also the fifth Australian to win the title following O'Neil, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Reid, and Margaret Court.
Following her win, Barty appeared in an early media call at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building on Sunday morning where she revealed how she celebrated her victory.
"It was pretty quiet, actually," Barty said.
"I was pretty wrecked so I had a couple of beers and I was in bed. Not too bad at all."
"It was nice just to be able to take a moment with my team, extended team, extended family and have a good time. It was good fun."
The 25-year-old tennis star also reunited with her friend and mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who presented her with the coveted Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at Rod Laver Arena.
The pair were joined by First Nations sprinter and Olympic legend Cathy Freeman, who was watching Barty claim the victory as part of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
It should be noted that Barty is the second First Nations woman to win the title after Goolagong Cawley nabbed four championships in the 1970s.
Barty said that sharing her winning moment with Goolagong Cawley and Freeman was a humbling experience.
The athlete said: "I am not at their level."
"Evonne and Cathy are exceptional people and they have paved the path for so many of us."
"I am still in a category of trying to follow in their footsteps and do the best that I can, but to be a small part of an amazing legacy that they created is really cool."
"I'm trying to create my own pathway."
The tennis star also said that she's hoping that her win would inspire young children to take up the sport.
Barty said: "That's the important thing about giving it a go, trying everything, multiple things, and I played a lot of sport when I was younger and fell in love with tennis."
"So if I can encourage any young boys or girls to pick up a racquet and have a go, that would be brilliant."
Rafael Nadal wins his second Australian Open championship after an epic 5-hour, 28-minute match against Daniil Medvedev. Credit: Dean Lewins/AAP.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal claimed his record 21st grand slam championship after winning with 2-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 7-5 over Daniil Medvedev in an epic five-set Australian Open final which took 5 hours and 28 minutes.
The victory was Nadal's second grand slam championship in Melbourne after winning the title back in 2009.
The Spanish tennis star, who thought that he would never play tennis again after suffering from a serious foot injury and contracting COVID-19 last year, said that the win was an amazing moment for him.
Nadal said: “It is just amazing. A month-and-a-half ago I didn’t know if I would be back on the tour playing tennis again and today I am here in front of all of you having this trophy with me and you don’t know how much I fought to be here."
“I can’t thank you all enough for the support I received since I arrived here. You are just amazing. Thank you for the love and the support.”
He also praised Medvedev for being a strong opponent after the Russian athlete suffered extreme physical and emotional exhaustion from the match after the boisterous pro-Nadal Melbourne crowd took aim at him.
“Daniil, you are an amazing champion. I have been in this position a couple of times in this tournament, having chances to have the trophy with me, but I don’t have any doubt that you will have this trophy a couple of times in your career because you are amazing,” the Spanish tennis star said.
“So I want to congratulate you and all of your team and family for everything."
“It has been one of the most emotional matches of my tennis career and to share the court with you is just an honour. So all of the best in the future."
The match between Nadal and Medvedev is the second-longest final in Open history behind only Nadal and Djokovic's five-hour, 53-minute encounter back in 2012.
The win also marks Nadal's lead in a number of major titles, surging past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal also joins Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Djokovic as the only men in history to win each of the four grand slam titles at least twice.
Missed the match? Well, check out this collection of highlights of the match between Nadal and Medvedev! It’s absolutely inspiring to watch!
Credit: Raz Ols
Australia's Ashleigh Barty snatched her first Australian Open championship victory after she triumphed over American Danielle Collins on Saturday.
Ashleigh Barty lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on Rod Laver Arena following her victory over America’s Danielle Collins on Saturday. Credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images.
The win is Barty's third major single title following her victories at the 2019 French Open and Wimbledon 2020.
Additionally, the world number one broke the 44-year title drought for Australia in the women's singles category in Melbourne, with Christine O'Neil winning the title in 1978.
Barty is also the fifth Australian to win the title following O'Neil, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Reid, and Margaret Court.
Following her win, Barty appeared in an early media call at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building on Sunday morning where she revealed how she celebrated her victory.
"It was pretty quiet, actually," Barty said.
"I was pretty wrecked so I had a couple of beers and I was in bed. Not too bad at all."
"It was nice just to be able to take a moment with my team, extended team, extended family and have a good time. It was good fun."
The 25-year-old tennis star also reunited with her friend and mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who presented her with the coveted Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at Rod Laver Arena.
The pair were joined by First Nations sprinter and Olympic legend Cathy Freeman, who was watching Barty claim the victory as part of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
It should be noted that Barty is the second First Nations woman to win the title after Goolagong Cawley nabbed four championships in the 1970s.
Barty said that sharing her winning moment with Goolagong Cawley and Freeman was a humbling experience.
The athlete said: "I am not at their level."
"Evonne and Cathy are exceptional people and they have paved the path for so many of us."
"I am still in a category of trying to follow in their footsteps and do the best that I can, but to be a small part of an amazing legacy that they created is really cool."
"I'm trying to create my own pathway."
The tennis star also said that she's hoping that her win would inspire young children to take up the sport.
Barty said: "That's the important thing about giving it a go, trying everything, multiple things, and I played a lot of sport when I was younger and fell in love with tennis."
"So if I can encourage any young boys or girls to pick up a racquet and have a go, that would be brilliant."
Rafael Nadal wins his second Australian Open championship after an epic 5-hour, 28-minute match against Daniil Medvedev. Credit: Dean Lewins/AAP.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal claimed his record 21st grand slam championship after winning with 2-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 7-5 over Daniil Medvedev in an epic five-set Australian Open final which took 5 hours and 28 minutes.
The victory was Nadal's second grand slam championship in Melbourne after winning the title back in 2009.
The Spanish tennis star, who thought that he would never play tennis again after suffering from a serious foot injury and contracting COVID-19 last year, said that the win was an amazing moment for him.
Nadal said: “It is just amazing. A month-and-a-half ago I didn’t know if I would be back on the tour playing tennis again and today I am here in front of all of you having this trophy with me and you don’t know how much I fought to be here."
“I can’t thank you all enough for the support I received since I arrived here. You are just amazing. Thank you for the love and the support.”
He also praised Medvedev for being a strong opponent after the Russian athlete suffered extreme physical and emotional exhaustion from the match after the boisterous pro-Nadal Melbourne crowd took aim at him.
“Daniil, you are an amazing champion. I have been in this position a couple of times in this tournament, having chances to have the trophy with me, but I don’t have any doubt that you will have this trophy a couple of times in your career because you are amazing,” the Spanish tennis star said.
“So I want to congratulate you and all of your team and family for everything."
“It has been one of the most emotional matches of my tennis career and to share the court with you is just an honour. So all of the best in the future."
The match between Nadal and Medvedev is the second-longest final in Open history behind only Nadal and Djokovic's five-hour, 53-minute encounter back in 2012.
The win also marks Nadal's lead in a number of major titles, surging past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal also joins Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Djokovic as the only men in history to win each of the four grand slam titles at least twice.
Missed the match? Well, check out this collection of highlights of the match between Nadal and Medvedev! It’s absolutely inspiring to watch!
Credit: Raz Ols
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