"The dream of every tennis player is to win a Grand Slam... but 21! You are a true champion and inspiration" - Dominic Thiem on Rafael Nadal

Dominic Thiem took to Instagram to congratulate Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard won his 21st Grand Slam on Sunday, calling him "a true champion and inspiration."

The former World No. 3 emphasized that winning 21 Majors is truly incredible considering every tennis player dreams of winning a single Grand Slam. The Austrian also expressed hope of returning to the tour soon.

"The dream of every tennis player is to win a Grand Slam... but 21! You are a true champion and inspiration. Hope to share the court with you again soon," Thiem captioned his Instagram story.

Nadal stunned the tennis world after winning the 2022 Australian Open from two sets down in the final against World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev. The Spaniard created history after becoming the first male in the Open Era to win 21 Majors, defeating the Russian 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

This is also the 15th season since 2005 in which the Spaniard has managed to win at least one Major, extending his own record on the ATP tour. The next player on the list is Novak Djokovic, who has won a Grand Slam title in 11 seasons to date.

Nadal defeated Thiem in two back-to-back French Open finals in 2018 and 2019, and currently enjoys a 9-6 advantage in the head-to-head with the Austrian.

Dominic Thiem will headline the Cordoba Open, Rafael Nadal to feature in Acapulco

Dominic Thiem at the 2021 French Open

Dominic Thiem will compete at the 2022 Cordoba Open, which begins on January 31. This will be the Austrian's first ATP event since the 2021 Mallorca Open, where he suffered a wrist injury.

World No. 13 Diego Schwartzman is the top seed at the Cordoba Open. Part of the "Golden Swing," the tournament is an ATP 250 level event played on outdoor clay courts.

Rafael Nadal with the 2022 Australian Open title

Rafael Nadal will next feature at the 2022 Mexican Open in Acapulco, which will take place from February 21-26. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev have also confirmed their presence at the event.