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Rafael Nadal has won the Australian Open conscionable doubly and has mislaid much finals than astatine immoderate different expansive slam. Around a glorious 2009 last triumph implicit Roger Federer and a stunning 2022 comeback triumph implicit Daniil Medvedev, determination person been 4 defeats successful deciders and a drawstring of different near-misses. His daze second-round wounded exit against Mackenzie McDonald is the latest unthinkable twist. Here is the mighty Spaniard's love-hate narration with Melbourne Park successful images.
By WWOS staff|11:44pm Jan 18, 2023
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2004
Rafael Nadal hits a forehand against Michael Tabara successful his first-ever Australian Open lucifer successful 2004. Nadal bushed Tabara and Thierry Ascione earlier falling to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt successful the 3rd round. Hewitt was already a dual expansive slam winner, portion Nadal was lone 17.
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2004
Rafael Nadal congratulates Lleyton Hewitt aft their 2004 Australian Open 3rd circular match. Hewitt bushed Nadal successful consecutive sets, though the Spanish youngster took the archetypal 2 to tiebreakers.
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2005
Rafael Nadal successful enactment during the 2005 Australian Open. Nadal mislaid successful the 4th circular to eventual finalist Lleyton Hewitt, successful a ripping five-setter, 7-5 3-6 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
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2006
Rafael Nadal congratulates Lleyton Hewitt connected winning their 2005 Australian Open match. Hewitt was 3-0 against Nadal astatine that point, though the Spaniard edged the Aussie 7-4 by the clip Hewitt retired. Nadal went connected the triumph his maiden Grand Slam rubric astatine the adjacent large of that year, the French Open, but past missed the 2006 Australian Open with a ft injury.
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2007
Rafael Nadal plays a backhand during his quarter-final against Fernando Gonzalez astatine the 2007 Australian Open. Nadal mislaid to eventual runner-up Gonzalez successful consecutive sets, fatigued from an earlier gruelling five-setter against Andy Murray.
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2008
Rafael Nadal plays a forehand during his semi-final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga astatine the 2008 Australian Open. He was smashed successful consecutive sets, his archetypal vocation nonaccomplishment to the Frenchman, who was dazzling astatine that Open earlier losing the last to Novak Djokovic.
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2009
Rafael Nadal bushed Roger Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-2 successful the 2009 Australian Open men's final, winning his archetypal rubric astatine the expansive slam. The large rivals shared a touching infinitesimal post-match, with Nadal consoling a weeping Federer.
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2009
Rafael Nadal poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aft winning the last of the 2009 Australian Open against Roger Federer, successful a five-set classic. It gave Nadal a 5-2 vantage implicit Federer successful expansive slam finals astatine that point; a ledger that present reads 6-3. The last lasted 4 hours and 23 minutes and was a Herculean effort by Nadal especially, fixed that he'd played and won a five-hour, 14-minute semi-final against Fernando Verdasco; which was past the longest lucifer successful Australian Open history.
9 of 29Attribution: Getty
2009
Rafael Nadal bites the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aft winning the 2009 Australian Open. He was ne'er going to miss retired connected his trademark trophy celebration.
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2010
Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal clasp astatine the premature extremity of their quarter-final astatine the 2010 Australian Open. Nadal retired erstwhile down 2 sets and 3-0 successful the third, owed to genu problems. Nadal boasted a 7-2 grounds against Murray heading into the match.
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2011
Rafael Nadal serves successful his quarter-final against David Ferrer astatine the 2011 Australian Open. Nadal suffered a hamstring wounded aboriginal successful the match, which helium entered boasting an 11-3 grounds against his chap Spaniard, and mislaid to Ferrer successful consecutive sets. It outgo him the accidental to triumph 4 consecutive expansive slam titles, having won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open successful 2010.
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2012
Rafael Nadal plays a backhand against Novak Djokovic successful the 2012 Australian Open final. Nadal mislaid to Djokovic successful 1 of the top matches of each time, a 5-7 6–4 6–2 6–7 (5-7) 7–5 epic that lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest expansive slam last successful past and a heartbreaker for the Spanish great.
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2012
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal aft the 2012 Australian Open final. Djokovic inflicted Nadal's archetypal nonaccomplishment successful a Melbourne Park decider - but it would not beryllium his last. Nadal went connected to miss the 2013 Australian Open owed to a tummy virus, an lack that dropped him retired of the apical 4 successful the ATP Tour rankings for the archetypal clip successful 8 years.
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2014
Rafael Nadal puts his manus to his look successful his last against Stan Wawrinka astatine the 2014 Australian Open. Nadal mislaid to Wawrinka 6–3 6–2 3–6 6–3, aft injuring his backmost during the warm-up. He had entered the lucifer with a 12-0 grounds against Wawrinka.
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2014
Pete Sampras (centre) poses with Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal aft the 2014 Australian Open final. Wawrinka won his archetypal expansive slam rubric and inflicted Nadal's 2nd decision successful a Melbourne Park decider. Nadal showed immense people by playing retired the lucifer contempt his backmost injury, not wanting Wawrinka to endure the unjust destiny of winning his maiden large via a retirement. A legendary sportsman, successful much ways than one.
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2015
Rafael Nadal serves during the 2015 Australian Open, wherever helium met Tomas Berdych successful the quarter-finals. A 17-match winning streak against Berdych was shattered erstwhile Nadal mislaid successful consecutive sets.
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2016
Rafael Nadal serves successful his archetypal circular lucifer against Fernando Verdasco astatine the 2016 Australian Open. Nadal mislaid to Verdasco successful 5 sets, marking his archetypal and lone opening circular exit astatine Melbourne Park.
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2017
Rafael Nadal plays a backhand volley against Roger Federer successful the 2017 Australian Open final. Nadal mislaid to Federer successful a five-set classic, 4-6 6-3 1-6 6-3 3-6.
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2017
Roger Federer bushed Rafael Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 successful the 2017 Australian Open men's final, winning his 5th rubric astatine the expansive slam and inflicting Nadal's 3rd decision successful a Melbourne Park decider.
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2018
Rafael Nadal shows his anguish successful his quarter-final against Marin Cilic astatine the 2018 Australian Open. Nadal mislaid to Cilic by status successful the 5th set.
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2019
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal transverse paths during a alteration of ends successful the last of the 2019 Australian Open. Djokovic demolished Nadal successful the Melbourne Park decider, winning 6-3 6-2 6-3 successful 2 hours and 4 minutes. Nadal reached the last without dropping a acceptable for the archetypal clip astatine the Australian Open, yet inactive managed lone 8 games against Djokovic portion suffering his archetypal consecutive sets nonaccomplishment successful a expansive slam final.
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