Rafael Nadal retired with 22 Major titles on his tally! The Spaniard battled on the professional circuit for over two decades, bringing passion and desire to every match and always giving his everything. Alongside countless victories, Rafa also experienced tough losses.
Asked about one match he would love to play again, Nadal picked the 2014 Australian Open final versus Stan Wawrinka! The Spaniard experienced a major blow during the pre-match warm-up, tweaking his back and struggling to serve and move.
Stan scored a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory in two hours and 21 minutes, toppling the legend and lifting his first Major trophy
Nadal’s regret is obvious! He had a brilliant hard-court run in 2013, which could have easily been extended in Melbourne next year without that injury. In addition, Rafa dominated the H2H against Stan before the final. However, those numbers meant little following his physical setback.
Wawrinka played flawless tennis in the opening two sets, serving well and outplaying Nadal on the return. The Spaniard refused to surrender and claimed the third set to keep himself alive. However, the Swiss broke him two times to emerge at the top and become a Major winner at 28.
Stan delivered his first break of serve at 2-1 in the opener. He held with a serve & volley combo in the fifth game to cement the lead and served for the opener at 5-3. Rafa stepped in and cracked a couple of winners to earn three break points.
Wawrinka kept his composure and denied them before wrapping up the first part of the duel with an ace for 6-3 in 37 minutes. The Swiss landed a return winner in the first game of the second set and clinched a break at love.
