"Anybody would have thought that maybe Novak would be the first one to 21 but I am happy it's Rafael Nadal" - Jennifer Brady

Jennifer Brady revealed she is happy Rafael Nadal became the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.

The Spaniard entered the Australian Open as the sixth seed and reached the quarterfinals after victories over Marcos Giron, Yannick Hanfmann, Karen Khachanov and Adrian Mannarino.

Nadal then overcame stomach issues to defeat Denis Shapovalov before defeating Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals. In his sixth Australian Open final, the Spaniard squared off against Daniil Medvedev. The Russian took the first two sets but Nadal responded emphatically to win the next three and lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a second time.

Speaking to Tennis Channel, Brady said she was glad to see her "idol" lift his 21st Major title when most reckoned Novak Djokovic would attain the feat first.

"I know, it's hard to believe. Anybody would have thought that maybe Novak would be the first one to 21 but I am happy it's Rafa, I'm a huge Rafa fan. I absolutely adore him and he's an idol of mine. So, happy to see that he is in Acapulco, playing," Brady said.

Rafael Nadal to participate in the Mexican Open

Rafael Nadal is set to compete at the Mexican Open

Rafael Nadal will compete in the Mexican Open as the fourth seed, putting to bed weeks of speculation regarding his participation in the ATP 500 event. The Spaniard landed in Acapulco and was seen practicing ahead of the competition.

The 35-year-old has won the Mexican Open thrice (2005, 2013 and 2020). He last competed in the event in 2020 and won the tournament by defeating Taylot Fritz 6-3, 6-2 in the final. The Spaniard did not drop a set throughout the competition.

Nadal is a heavy favorite to win the Mexican Open this year, but it won't be easy given that the likes of Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are competing as well.

The 21-time Major champion is also scheduled to compete at the Indian Wells Masters, which kicks off on March 7. He has won the Masters 1000 tournament thrice but his last win came nine years ago in 2013.

Novak Djokovic is also on the tournament's entry list but looks unlikely to participate given his vaccination status.