‘No good for the balls’: Rafael Nadal’s wardrobe malfunction in Australian Open final

Rafael Nadal has secured a 21st grand slam title despite having to abandon his normal service routine due to a wardrobe malfunction.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his Men's Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day 14 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

It’s drawn comparisons to the unforgettable 2012 Australian Open men’s singles final, and understandably so.

Rafael Nadal has become the first men’s player to secure 21 grand slam singles titles, defeating Russian world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller on Rod Laver Arena.

It was a marathon five-and-a-half hour encounter – the second-longest Australian Open match in history – with Nadal pulling off a 2-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 7-5 comeback in front of an adoring Melbourne Park crowd.

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Fatigue started to take its toll on both players as the clock ticked past 11pm local time, with Medvedev calling pickle juice sachets and demanding electrolytes be added to his water bottles.

Nadal’s knuckles were blistered and covered in bandaids – the Spaniard had already suffered heat strain earlier in the tournament, and he quickly transformed into a walking mop on Sunday evening. From as early as his second service game, he was sweating profusely.

It prompted several uncomfortable adjustments at the front and back of his shorts; Nadal’s hands were so wet, he was required to use sawdust to grip the racquet handles.

The sweat around his hands and shoulders also forced him to abandon his normal service routine, where he instead had to wipe his hands on a towel every point. He also chose not to store tennis balls in the pockets, instead receiving one from a ball kid because his shorts were soaked with sweat.

The 35-year-old was churning through a new set of clothes every set.

Rafael Nadal’s sweaty fingers were covered in bandaids. Photo by TPN/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal was changing shirts almost every set. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“I’ve never seen this,” American tennis great Jim Courier said on Channel 9.

“You can see the shorts are just plastered to his body. He’s perspired so much. He doesn’t want those tennis balls to soak up any moisture.

“I’ve never seen him do that.

“Rafa’s the most ritualistic player I’ve ever seen. Every point he does the same things over and over again. It must be so disconcerting for him not to have the normal rituals when he hits a second serve right now.

“For a normal player who is not as ritualistic as him it might not be a problem, but boy, for a guy that puts his water bottles the same way every single time, I think anything out of line would be disturbing.”

Nadal’s sweaty dilemma also prompted a piece of commentary gold from Channel 9’s Trent Woodbridge: “Wet shorts are no good for the balls.”

During the post-match trophy presentation, Nadal sat in a chair on the dais while tournament officials gave their speeches. Medvedev opted to stay standing.

It was the second longest match in Australian Open history. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa

Earlier in the tournament, Nadal was in serious physical distress during a rollercoaster five-set victory over Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals, revealing afterwards he suffered from heatstroke and lost 4kg.

On Sunday, he skipped the usual panel interview at the desk with the host broadcaster because he was too cooked — when he entered the locker room after the trophy presentation, Nadal collapsed to the ground.

Team members gathered around while Nadal, completely spent, lay on the floor — but he couldn’t stay there. He needed to cool down and despite being drained beyond belief, he hopped on an exercise bike in the players’ gym.

Even when at his most exhausted, Nadal knew he couldn’t relax completely.

Nadal only got off the bike to accept congratulations from Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, who was in the crowd to witness history being made.

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his victory. Photo by TPN/Getty Images

“I just wanted to keep believing until the end to give me a chance and that’s what I did,” Nadal said.

“I kept fighting to try and find a solution, there a lot of moments that can decide a final like this.

“It means a lot to me and I know it’s a special number 21 and I know what it means, its significance.

“Today is an unforgettable day, but for the last six months I really fought a lot to get back on court and I feel honoured, I feel lucky to have one more very special thing in my career.

“I don’t care much about history, I enjoy nights like this. That means everything to me, it’s important to get my second Australian Open more than anything else.”