Rafael Nadal advanced to the second round
of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over American Marcos Giron on
Monday. Nadal is looking for his second title at the
Australian Open and 21st Grand Slam title overall.

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With Novak Djokovic sent packing by Australian
authorities and Roger Federer absent, Nadal can snatch the men’s all-time Slam
record outright by claiming the title at Melbourne Park.

Nadal started superbly at a sunbathed Rod
Laver Arena, breaking world No. 6 66 Giron five times for the match and
thrashing 34 winners past the outclassed American.

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Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are
tied with 20 major singles titles each. Federer is not playing due to his
lengthy recovery from right knee surgery, and nine-time champion Djokovic was
deported from Australia on Sunday due to problems with his visa, his COVID-19
vaccination status, and a court hearing which didn’t go his way.

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Nadal is also bidding to become the second
man in the Open Era — and only the fourth man — to win each of the four Grand
Slam singles titles twice. Djokovic completed the double by winning his second
title at Roland Garros in 2021. Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the
only other men to have won each Grand Slam on two or more occasions.

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After his win on Monday, Nadal, who has long been struggling with a recurring foot injury, said, “Everybody knows I have
important injury in my foot since the beginning of my career but I was able to
manage or or less well but is through that… After that two months being at
home, when I came back, I been very challenging since that. I was able to play
at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, but honestly have been, yeah, very
tough moments, of course with a lot of doubt and still doubt, but here I am and
I can’t be happier, to be back here in Australia in this amazing stadium, it’s
just fantastic for me. It means a lot.”

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Nadal won the Australian Open in 2009.