"In the end, personal satisfaction is much higher and much more important than any record" - Rafael Nadal reflects on his 21st Grand Slam title

Rafael Nadal recently reflected on his triumph at the 2022 Australian Open, saying that he did not feel any different after the title than he did before. The Spaniard declared that he focused only on his personal development on the tennis court and never fretted over the possibility of getting his name on the record books.

The World No. 5 defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final at Melbourne Park after a remarkable comeback, overturning a two-set deficit to win his 21st Grand Slam. In doing so, the Mallorcan leapfrogged Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the Slam race and became the first man in tennis history to reach the milestone.

Speaking in an interview with the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, the former World No. 1 stressed emphatically that it was only the "internal" achievements that mattered to him, and not any records or statistics.

To name a few, he mentioned the perseverance he displayed in making a triumphant return to action after his foot injury as well as the support and love he received from his team during that period. Nadal regarded both those things as "more important to him" than the title he won in Melbourne.

"For me, it's all about the things that I, personally, and also my people, my team and my family, did to help me get back on the court and give myself a chance to compete at a high level," he said. "Internally, it is more about this than the records and the stats. In the end, personal satisfaction is much higher and much more important than any record."

"I am excited to just keep playing tennis" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal revealed that his body had taken quite a beating after the Australian Open triumph.

During the interview, Rafael Nadal also expanded on the break he took following the Australian Open. After the final at Rod Laver Arena on January 30, Nadal did not play any competitive tennis until the Mexican Open in the last week of February.

The 35-year-old revealed that the Grand Slam had taken quite a toll on his body and that he wanted to recover fully before taking to the court once more. He further added that he had been able to resume training earlier than expected, and was glad to just "keep playing tennis" again.

"After Australia, there have been some super happy moments, of course. There were some emotional moments too, to be back home and share it with the people that I love," he said. "But then the body went down a little bit. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. I was able to start practicing relatively early again. So, I felt like I had to keep going. I am excited to just keep playing tennis."

The break definitely paid dividends for the Spaniard, as he went on to win the tournament in Acapulco without dropping a set. Seeded fourth, Nadal defeated World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals and then dispatched World No. 12 Cameron Norrie in the final to win his fourth title in Mexico. In the process, he also extended his unbeaten streak in the 2022 season to 15 and grabbed his third title of the year.