What makes people great? How is greatness achieved? How is it sustained? And what is it about those who are great that allows them to access a plane no one has reached before?
Those intangible questions never truly get answered. But as Rafael Nadal stepped one ahead of fellow modern greats Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer with his 21st grand slam title, becoming the first to win the Australian Open from 2-0 down, against the best opponent he could have faced on this hard surface, the clues can probably be found in the endless supply of towels that soaked up the Spaniard’s sweat over the course of this five hour and 24-minute epic.
