Is Rafas 2022 AO down 2 sets, 2-3 and 0-40 the greatest comeback in slam final history?

[MichaelNadal]

This was an incredible comeback. No doubt about it.

Rates quite high because of multiple reasons -

1. Playing one of the best of his generation in hard courts who also beat Djokovic in last USO.
2. Second AO was kind of important for Nadal
3. He was completely down and out with a 4% chance.


I will be honest. It might have been the greatest Houdini act in tennis.

It's really hard to put the epicness in words

 

[ChrisRF]

Other contender would be the 1984 French Open final. McEnore was up 2-0 in set on Lendl and either up a break in the third set or had break point(s) to go up a break.

It was 4-2 in the 4th set. In the 3rd set he didn't have a lead. However, this doesn't change the narrative too much. Lendl still came back from 0-2 sets AND from a break in a must-win set.

 

[pirhaksar]

No. Djokovic's comeback against Tsitsipas at the French Open in 2021 is vastly superior. Plus, he beat Nadal the previous round and did not rely on corrupt government officials banning someone from competing.

The 2022 AO is an asterisked slam and doesn't count. Djokovic was unfairly and unjustly banned simply because he refused to take a dumb placebo vaccine. Nadal would've never won the AO that year had Djokovic been allowed to play.

There’s no asterix. Novak fairly or unfairly paid the price of not getting the vaccine. Rest of the field did and played and Rafa won it fair and square, he can only play the ones in from of him which he did. There’s also no guarantee that had Novak played he would have won .. there’s nothing given. Can we move on? No need to be like the idiot Rafa or Fed fans going on and on an on about roofgate, or era or whatever crap they peddle.

 

[messiahrobins]

Nadal comeback was great but in retrospect when you see the same scenario played out in Med vs Sinner, it seems less impressive to me.

Med just can't keep up the aggressive play for the BO5 match without running out of steam at some point. And he can't beat the very best with his usual defensive game, he has to go for it.

Even in 2021 USO, if Novak somehow won that 3d set he would have won the match IMO. Med admitted in the presser after the match that he was getting tired.

Good points actually. I love Medvedev as for me he maxed out his ability

 

[Biotic]

2022 event in Melbourne wasn't AO, so the answer is no.

If Djokovic won the RG in such a way that Nadal was prevented from playing the RG due to political pressure, I would not be thrilled with such a win. But a significant portion of Nadal fans, it seems, are hypocrites.

Absolutely. It tells us something very important, that all they truly care about are numbers lol.

 

[zagor]

If Nadal supposedly "ducked" Federer in Cincy 2015, what does it tell us of Federer at the USO 2013 losing to Robredo before facing Nadal?

Possibly a duck too? I'd give Fed the benefit of the doubt because he has usually much more consistent in facing his rivals when he was in bad form than vice versa. But sure, it's possible.

Nadal could have faced Novak in 2015 USO too, then we wouldn't be hearing all those 2-1 at USO chants.

The AO 2024 and AO 2022 F are not the same at all, in the AO 2024 Med was exhausted from the 3rd set after having spent 20 hours on court, the equivalent of almost 2 more matches than Sinner (15 hours) before the final. There was nothing else the Russian could've done with that fatigue. At the AO 2022, Med wasn't tired, nor did he show any sumptom of fatigue.

No two matches are the same but the circumstances were very similar. Two matches were Med was leading against superior more talented players with low % aggressive play before he ran out of steam and then got routined more or less.

Med can't win against elite players playing his normal game which is why he steps out of his comfort zone but his purple patch BO5 it doesn't last long enough to give him the win (except 2021 USO where it did).

Crazy how you called me a Federer hater but here you're dismissing Nadal and his rivals 24/7.

Those are two separate things. If I'm a Nadal hater (and I probably am), it doesn't mean you aren't president of anyone but Fedr club : ) Besides, other posters called you out on that, I just agreed with them. I didn't call you a hater myself.

Now supposedly the AO 2022 F is not that impressive, Med is a weak rival and Sampras with only 14 Slams and 0 French Open is greater than Nadal with 22 Slams and a Double Career Grand Slam, right? Who's the hater now?

Let's go one by one here :

- I didn't say AO 2022 F comeback wasn't impressive. I said it was great but less impressive in retrospect (to me) than it was at the time. Because Med lost another final in a very similar manner few years latter, proving (in my eyes) that the issue is with him. So to phrase it again, Nadal's comeback was impressive but not as impressive as I initially thought, clear enough? If you're gonna quote me/reply, do it accurately instead of strawmanning.

-I didn't say Sampras was greater than Nadal. I said I don't put Nadal over Pete. I don't put Fed or Novak over Pete either, does that make a Fed and Novak hater too? They're free to believe so, not like I give a crap honestly. Unlike most of the active posters here, I actually watched the 90s and Sampras and have some clue what I'm talking about when it comes to that era.

 

[zagor]

Good points actually. I love Medvedev as for me he maxed out his ability

There's no faulting Med, he's a limited player overall but he has some great strengths and always gives it his best. He doesn't lie down for the nextgen superstars, they have to bring their A game to beat him. Otherwise they lose, like Alcaraz did at USO last year and Sinner at Wimbledon this year.

I wouldn't say he choked his two AO finals where he lost from 2-0 up, he had to play above and beyond his ability and couldn't keep it up long enough. Sinner and even old Nadal can reach heights in terms of level of play that he just can't.

 

[TripleATeam]

Gaudio vs. Coria RG final had no ATGs in there and is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest comebacks ever.

In 2022 it was no choke, Nadal was simply too clutch and outplayed the Russian since 0-2 and 0-40. Saying Medvedev choked the AO 2022 final is equally unobjective as saying Nadal choked the AO 2017 F. No, Rafa didn't. Rafa's legs said no, plus Roger increased uis aggressivity and precission and Nadal was outplayed. As much as it was an epic match, and a great display of mental strength plus clynic groundstokes by Roger, the AO 2017 F doesn't qualify as one of the "greatest comebacks" though, as it was merely overcoming a half a set (1-3) deficit, while in the AO 22 F, RG 2004 F and RG 1984 F, the winning player needed to overcome a 2 sets deficit.

The AO 2024 F was also not a choke at all. Medvedev had spent more than 20 hours, the equavalent of almost two more matches than Sinner (15 hours) before advancing to the final. Medvedev legs didn't respond from the 3rd set, it was clear as the sun. There was nothing else he could've done.

And personally I don't view it as the greatest comeback in history on account of it not happening between 2 ATGs.

 

[TripleATeam]

And personally I don't view it as the greatest comeback in history on account of it not happening between 2 ATGs.

Then again, there's not a lot of contenders now that I consider it. Nadal v Medvedev is between a GOAT level player and a consistent top 5 player and Nadal came back from a huge deficit.

The other contenders are like almost 2 breaks down in the 5th, whereas Rafa was down 2 sets and almost 2 breaks.

Maybe it is. All I know is I'd think the greatest comeback should be against the greatest competition.

 

[Aabye5]

No. Not even close.

 

[Phenomenal]

Among the very best if not the best.

 

[RS]

Broke people's soul big time best day ever.

What people don't get it's not really the level alone it's the fight Nadal put after such a long break for tennis were he once again looked done.