There were plenty of exhilarating and shocking moments in sports this year, but some of the most exciting happened when we least expected it. From tennis matches to NFL and WNBA games to March Madness in college basketball, 2022 gave us rallies, rebirths and straight-up returns from the dead that we’ll never forget. Year after year, Yogi Berra’s adage still holds true: “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” Below, we outline some of the biggest comebacks in sports in 2022.
Nadal recovers from two sets down to beat Medvedev at 2022 Australian Open
After more than five hours on the court, Rafael Nadal made a historic comeback in the Australian Open final in January. The Spaniard trailed Daniil Medvedev 2-3, 0-40 in the third set before coming back from two sets down to win 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 and claim the men’s record. 21st major title. The victory marked the first time in 15 years that he had won a best-of-five match after dropping the first two sets, and broke a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to claim the most important singles title in men’s tennis history.
Kansas completes historic comeback in NCAA tournament final
The Big Dance never fails to provide exciting moments, and this year’s college basketball season ended with a sweet comeback in the men’s final. Kansas trailed North Carolina by 16 points in the first half before completely turning the game around and going on a 31-10 run to start the second half. The Jayhawks completed the largest comeback in NCAA Championship history with a 72-69 victory, topping Loyola Chicago’s comeback in the 1963 title game, overcoming a 15-point deficit against Cincinnati.
Celtics make history with double-digit comeback win over the Warriors in NBA Finals
Although the Warriors ended up winning the NBA title, the Celtics still made league history in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals. After being down in the first and third quarters, Boston rallied in the second quarter and then finished the game with a stellar fourth quarter performance, outscoring Golden State 40-16 for a 120-108 victory. Read also : Stardew Valley Has Changed How We Approach the Video Game Workforce. The win made the Celtics the first team in history to win an NBA Finals game by double digits after being down by double digits in the fourth quarter.
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Sky make WNBA history with 28-point comeback against Aces
In June, the reigning league champion took on the Aces in Las Vegas and got off to a slow start, giving up a WNBA-record 41 points in the first quarter. Despite the poor performance, Chicago did not give up. To see also : The 20 Best Video Game Endings of All Time. The Sky battled back from a 28-point deficit to beat the Aces 104-95, setting a record for the biggest comeback in the league’s 26-year history. (The previous mark was a 25-point comeback from a deficit, which had been accomplished three times previously.)
UCLA women’s soccer storms back from two-goals down to win NCAA title in OT
The 2022 Women’s College Cup gave sports fans one of the most incredible comebacks of the year. UCLA trailed North Carolina by two goals and the Tar Heels appeared to be on their way to their 23rd team title with just 10 minutes left in regulation. But in the 80th minute, UCLA’s Lexi Wright scored a rebound. See the article : 10 “Assumed To Fail” Video Games That DESTROYED Expectations. Then, with just 16 seconds left, Reilyn Turner hit a corner kick to force overtime. In the 107th minute, Maricarmen Reyes scored the game-winner to become the first team to win a women’s soccer championship after scoring two goals — and give UCLA its second national title in program history.
Vikings erase a 33-point deficit to beat the Colts in OT
A week before Christmas, the Vikings gave fans the greatest comeback in NFL history. After trailing the Colts 33-0 at halftime and trailing 36-7 with 4:59 left in the third quarter, Minnesota staged an incredible comeback. C. J. Ham hits. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen got them closer, but with 5:34 left in the game, the Vikings still trailed 36-28. Quarterback Kirk Cousins found Dalvin Cook for a 64-yard touchdown pass, and then T.J Hockenson caught a two-point conversion to force overtime. Kicker Greg Joseph completed the greatest comeback in NFL history with a 40-yard field goal with three seconds left in OT to secure a 39-36 Vikings victory.
