Nadal entered his 19th Grand Slam final appearing to be affected by a back injury, as Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka took a shock two-set lead in Sunday's Australian Open final, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
The 28-year-old, now the top Swiss after Nadal beat Roger Federer in the semi-finals, will stand third behind Nadal and Djokovic in Monday's ATP ranking.
"In one year, a lot has happened"
A relieved Wawrinka, who won the title on what was Australia's annual national holiday, paid tribute to his opponent at the trophy ceremony.
"I'm really sorry for Rafa, I hope your back will be fine. It's always a pleasure to play you.
"Last year I had a crazy match here [which he lost in five sets to Djokovic]. I lost it and I was crying a lot after it. In one year, a lot has happened," Wawrinka said.
"I don't know if I'm dreaming or not, I'll know tomorrow morning I guess. This is just an amazing grand slam to play," he added.
Nadal, the tournament's 2009 champion, shed tears at the ceremony.
"First thing I want to say is thanks to Stan, we have a great relationship and you really deserve it today, so many congratulations and all the best.
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