Clive Brunskill/Getty Images(MELBOURNE, Australia) — Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in five sets to win the Australian Open at Melbourne Park Sunday morning.
Federer takes home the first Grand Slam singles title of the season, and the eighteenth of his career. He holds the record for most Grand Slam titles by any man in tennis history. It was Federer’s first appearance in a major final since the 2012 Wimbledon championship.
The Australian Open marked Federer’s return to tennis after he took part of the 2016 season off due to an injured knee. Nadal has also struggled with injuries in recent years.
The match stayed tight through four sets, but Rafael Nadal stumbled in the fifth set and wasn’t able to mount a comeback. He surged through the tournament to face Federer, but just didn’t have enough to beat out his longtime rival.
And Federer credited Nadal’s hard work to get back to the finals of a major tournament, adding that if he had to share the trophy with someone, it would be “Rafa.”
With the victory, the argument of Federer being the greatest men’s tennis player of all time only becomes stronger. Federer’s the first man in tennis history to win three majors five or more times. He beat four top ten players in this tournament alone. He also becomes the fourth-oldest Grand Slam winner in history.
The next grand slam tournament will be on the red clay of the French Open in May.
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