Nadal: I was exhausted, but I wanted to give my all

Melbourne, Australian, Jan 31 (EFE).- Rafael Nadal on Monday said he was worn out even before the fifth set of his epic comeback in the Australian Open final, but he spared nothing to win a record-breaking 21st major title.

“I was exhausted and not only in the fifth, from before too, but it was the day to leave nothing inside,” he said during an interview with Efe a day after defeating Daniil Medvedev.

“As they say, it was the day to be down to the last drop and the mind responded well. The physical side endured and allowed me to fight until the end,” he added about the 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

“In the third set, winning the match was almost impossible. Two sets down, add to that in the second I had opportunities to close it, and even more so knowing that physically I am not prepared,” he continued.

“I don’t remember the points, but the dynamic of the match changed from there,” he commented on the match that lasted five hours and 24 minutes.

A day after the epic victory and being showered with praise, Nadal has already assimilated everything that this triumph implies, after being on the sidelines for six months with a foot injury.

“On a personal level it is something incredible, it is the most unexpected victory of my career and one of the most exciting,” Nadal who has won 90 titles, said.

“It is difficult to explain, it is incredible what I experienced yesterday and to see that I am competitive as a player is something incredible,” he added. EFE

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