Rafael Nadal's 21st Grand Slam triumph watched by 5 million users in India according to latest numbers released by Sony Sports Network

Rafael Nadal made history at the 2022 Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev in a thriller in the final to become the first man in tennis history to win 21 Grand Slams. Meanwhile, Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian to win the women's singles title in over four decades.

The tournament continued to make history off the court too, as record numbers thronged to watch their favorite players in action.

According to the latest numbers released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the men's singles final was watched by almost five million people on Sony Sports Network, the competition's official broadcaster in India. This makes it the most-watched men's Grand Slam final to date on the network.

Overall, almost 22 million people watched the tournament in India, making it the most-watched Grand Slam in recent years. The biggest market share of viewers came from the state of Tamil Nadu, followed by Pondicherry and Maharashtra. Goa was in fourth place, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty to feature at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal will return to action at the Indian Wells Masters after his Australian Open triumph

Following their successful runs Down Under, Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty will turn their attention to the Indian Wells Open. Both players are yet to play a match since their title runs at Melbourne Park.

Barty headlines the WTA 1000 event, held from March 9-20, as the No. 1 seed, followed by World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 3 Barbora Krejcikova. Also participating are defending champion Paula Badosa as well as former winners Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka.

On the men's side, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is on the entry list but his participation remains in doubt in the midst of vaccination mandates. The Serb is followed by World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev as the next highest seeds.

Nadal is likely to be the fifth seed at the event, held between March 10-20. Defending champion Cameron Norrie and former winner Dominic Thiem also feature in the line-up at the ATP 1000 event.

Nadal is on a 10-match winning streak in 2022 and has yet to lose a match since the turn of the year. Barty is on a 11-match winning streak and is unbeaten in 2022 just like the Spaniard.