Deyo is gone, and the Australian Open is already a look of a group of heroes rising together and the new king ascending the throne.
The men's singles final four have been out, Nadal, as the last sticker in the big three, is still tenaciously defending the last glory of the king's era, for the Spanish king who is also aiming to impact the first person in the history of men's tennis, this year's Norman Brooks Challenge Cup is too important and too important.
As the most serious "partial student" in the history of the big three and even the men's tennis world, Nadal's 20 Grand Slam championship trophies, 13 are Musketeers Cups, from the French Open, the remaining 7, 4 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, and only 1 Australian Open.
At the 2021 French Open, Nadal lost 3-1 to Djokovic in an epic showdown, stopping the semi-finals. That defeat made Nadal's many magical records ancient - unbeaten in the semi-finals (13 consecutive wins) and 33 consecutive French Open wins. Djokovic reversed adversity again in the final, not only winning his second Musketeers Cup, but also unlocking the first double-lap Grand Slam in men's tennis in the Open era.
Obviously, for Nadal, if he can win another Norman Brooks Challenge Cup, then he will also become the owner of the glory of the double Grand Slam, coupled with his Olympic men's singles gold medal, no matter how the future selection of the first person in men's tennis history will be defined, he will be the key criterion that cannot be bypassed.
As the media said, Deyo's absence gave Nadal a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he was indeed the biggest beneficiary of Djokovic's absence. In the semi-finals, Nadal fought hard for 5 sets, and he relied on a stubborn breath to eliminate Shapovalov and advance to the final four of the Australian Open for the seventh time.
The Australian Open in 2022 is destined to usher in a new era, either the new generation of tennis topped the top - Medvedev will become the world's first if he wins the championship; or the first person in the history of men's tennis to be crowned - Nadal's personal 21st Grand Slam championship trophy, double Grand Slam.
Djokovic's stubbornness and naivety gave Nadal and Medvedev the opportunity to make history, but Tsitsipas and Belletini were equally hungry for the title. But as the only champion in the men's singles final four of this year's Australian Open, can Nadal beat the glare of "1" and become the first in the history of men's tennis?
Although it is too early to conclude, it is undeniable that if Nadal is really proud of Melbourne, the first person in the history of men's tennis, nine times out of ten, belongs to the king of Spain.
Not to mention the 21st Grand Slam trophy brought to Nadal by the Australian Open victory, as well as the achievement of this double grand slam, just one point - the French Open after the Australian Open, the king of clay, who can stop the momentum of the return of the king? Is it expected that Djokovic will be able to participate in the French Open and end Nadal's dream like last year?
Obviously, instead of counting on Deyo beating Nadal at Roland Garros, it is better to pin hopes on Melbourne, on Medvedev.
At last year's US Open, Medvedev won the final 3-0 victory over Djokovic, who was determined to impact the annual Grand Slam miracle, and won the first real Grand Slam championship trophy for the men's tennis post-90s players from the post-80s players. This year, Medvedev, as the biggest hottest in the Australian Open men's singles, has the strength to achieve a breakthrough of zero Australian Open championships for post-90s players, and from the current situation, Medvedev is undoubtedly Nadal's biggest opponent to relive the Australian Open championship dream.
This is Nadal's chance, but it is also Medvedev's chance, the Australian Open is destined to usher in a new king, but whether it is the new king to ascend the throne, or the unification of the king, in addition to experience and strength, it also needs a little luck.