“If Novak wins, I’ll be happy for him”: Rafa Nadal praises Djokovic as “quite spectacular” ahead of Australian Open final
ATPSaturday, 31 January 2026 at 04:30
Rafael Nadal will once again be part of the Australian Open atmosphere in 2026, with the tournament organisers confirming the Spanish legend’s participation in the Legends’ Night event, which will take place on Sunday, February 1, ahead of the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has already arrived in Melbourne, and his participation is confirmed for the Sunday event prior to the men’s final, where he will join former world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and Australian wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott. The event will include interactive activities for fans, live music with a DJ, and multiple prizes for spectators who arrive early to get ready for the men’s final.
It is also expected that Nadal will attend both the women’s and men’s finals from the player’s box, and that on Sunday — during his exhibition event — he will be honoured by the tournament organisation, recalling some of the greatest achievements of his sporting career. On that occasion, he will be presented with a personalised Kia EV9 Art Car, courtesy of Kia, sponsor of both the Australian Open and Nadal since 2006.
The Spaniard — retired since the end of 2024 — will return to the Australian Open for the first time since 2023, the year in which he played his last Grand Slam main draw match there before taking a break of more than a year from his career. After leaving Melbourne injured, Nadal only returned to competition in mid-2024 for his farewell at Roland Garros, marking the end of his career in Grand Slam tournaments.
Nadal won the title in Melbourne on two occasions: 2009 and 2022, the latter famously remembered for his comeback from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev, in one of the most impressive comebacks ever seen in a Grand Slam final. Nadal also reached the Australian Open final on four other occasions and finished with an outstanding record of 77 wins and 16 losses (83%) at the tournament.
Nadal’s arrival in Melbourne adds to the presence of Roger Federer earlier in the tournament, who took part in a star-studded opening ceremony alongside Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter and Ashleigh Barty, in a legends’ doubles exhibition.
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“If I have to support someone, I must support Carlos”: Nadal chooses his favourite for Sunday final
The 22-time Grand Slam champion answered several questions from the press upon his arrival in Melbourne and previewed Sunday’s final between Djokovic and Alcaraz, two of his long-time rivals.
According to ESPN Tenis, Nadal chose his favourite to lift the title on Sunday, selecting his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. “In some way, with Djokovic we had an incredible history, with all those years competing for the most important things, and I wish him all the best. But of course, Carlos is from my country, I have a good relationship with him; we shared the Olympic Games together, we shared the Spanish team,” Nadal explained.
“If Novak wins, I will be happy for him because, in some way, what he is doing at this stage of his career is quite spectacular. So I will be happy — it will not be a drama for me. But if I have to support someone, well, I feel that I must support Carlos,” he concluded.
Nadal finished his career with a head-to-head record of 29–31 against Novak Djokovic, marking their final match at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Regarding his direct encounters against Alcaraz, they only faced each other three times, with two wins for Nadal and one for Alcaraz.
Alcaraz vs Zverev enters Australian Open history
After Friday’s semifinal matches, the clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev went down in history as the third longest match in Australian Open history, lasting 5 hours and 27 minutes (327 minutes).
First place still belongs to none other than Novak Djokovic against Rafael Nadal in the 2012 final, when they were ranked world No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. On that occasion, the Serbian prevailed after 5 hours and 53 minutes, winning 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5.
Nadal also appears in the top five thanks to the 2022 final against Daniil Medvedev, placing just behind the Sinner–Alcaraz match, with a duration of 324 minutes.
Longest matches in Australian Open history
| Match | Tournament Year | Duration (minutes) | Round | |
| 1. | Djokovic vs Nadal | 2012 | 5 hr, 53 min. | Final |
| 2. | Murray vs Kokkinakis | 2023 | 5 hr, 45 min. | Second Round |
| 3. | Zverev vs Alcaraz | 2025 | 5 ht, 27 min. | Semifinal |
| 4. | Nadal vs Medvedev | 2022 | 5 hr, 24 min. | Final |
| 5. | Karlovic vs Zeballos | 2017 | 5 hr, 15 min. | First Round |
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