After Rafael Nadal’s win at Australian Open, vaccine memes take over the internet

After the 35-year-old Spanish legend won his 21st Grand Slam, while Novak Djokovic was barred for playing owing to his vaccine status, netizens used the moment to urge all to get their shots.

By: Trends Desk

New Delhi | January 31, 2022 11:52 AM IST

3 min read

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Rafael Nadal finally got to the magic number of 21, breaking the tie with his great contemporaries Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal created history on Sunday and achieved the unthinkable as he won his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open moving ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. And as congratulatory messages flooded social media, it was the importance of vaccination against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) that dominated conversation worldwide.

The 35-year-old Spaniard was outplayed by Daniil Medvedev, the higher-ranked and in-form Russian, for more than two sets and two hours in the Australian Open final. However, Nadal defeated Medvedev in the nerve-wracking final, winning his second Australian Open title.

After Nadal emerged as the winner proving his mettle all over again, vaccine memes and jokes surged online bringing the focus back on his rival Djokovic, who was barred from playing the tournament because of Australia’s strict immunisation policy. Even though he even took the Australian government to court to state he had a valid medical exemption, the result was not in his favour.

“Rafa and Covid-19 true winners of 2022,” chimed one fan online. “Collateral effects of the vaccine,” wrote another, sharing a picture of Nadal celebrating his iconic moment. While some poked fun at Djokovic for missing out on a great opportunity, others, including the Pune Police used the epic moment to urge others to get jabbed.

https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1487795531585765378

https://twitter.com/liitttlemermaid/status/1487806119284129794

However, for the Spanish veteran, who repeatedly underplayed his chances of winning the title owing to the tumultuous 2021, his victory became extra special. From a career-threatening foot injury to contracting Covid-19, his road to victory on Sunday has given fans great inspiration.

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