Most expensive tennis racket ever: Djokovic’s 2012 Australian Open racket sells for over $500k
ATPSunday, 01 February 2026 at 23:00
Just hours before Novak Djokovic stepped onto Rod Laver Arena for Sunday’s Australian Open men’s final, a piece of tennis history linked to the Serbian legend made headlines away from the court. A racket used by Djokovic during his unforgettable 2012 Australian Open triumph was sold at auction for a staggering $540,000, setting a new all-time record for the highest price ever paid for a game-used tennis racket.
The sale took place on Saturday night through SCP Auctions and comfortably surpassed the previous record, which had been set only a few months earlier. In October, Carlos Alcaraz’s racket from his maiden Wimbledon title was sold for $173,066 — a figure that now looks modest by comparison. Coincidentally, Alcaraz went on to defeat Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open final, adding an intriguing layer of symmetry to the moment.
According to CP24, Djokovic’s racket was photo-matched to the exact match point of the 2012 Australian Open final, further enhancing its historical value. That final is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches ever played, not only in Grand Slam history but in the sport as a whole.
Djokovic faced long-time rival Rafael Nadal in a brutal contest that lasted five hours and 53 minutes, setting an Australian Open record and becoming the longest men’s singles final ever played at a Grand Slam. After nearly six hours of relentless physical and mental warfare, Djokovic emerged victorious with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 win, collapsing onto the court in exhaustion.
At the time, the match featured the world’s top two ranked players and symbolised the peak of one of tennis’s greatest rivalries. At that stage of his career, the 24-year-old Djokovic already had his third Australian Open title — adding to one Wimbledon title and one US Open title, both won in 2011. On the other side, Nadal already had 10 Grand Slam trophies — six of them at Roland Garros — and suffered his third consecutive defeat against Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, after losing at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2011.
The victory marked the fifth of Djokovic’s now record-breaking 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a milestone that would prove pivotal in shaping his legacy as the greatest tennis player in history.
Djokovic makes history again at 38 despite Australian Open final defeat
At 38 years old, Djokovic became the oldest player ever to contest a Grand Slam final, although he was unable to claim the title. After the epic semi-final against Sinner, Nole eventually fell in four sets to Carlos Alcaraz: 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7.
“I always believe I can,” Djokovic commented during the press conference after the defeat. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be competing, and I said this numerous times. It’s great that I was able to beat Jannik in five and really battle Carlos in four close sets.”
“It is what it is. That’s sport, but of course, when you draw a line and you make, you know, an assessment of what happened in the last couple of weeks, it’s an incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be a couple of sets away maybe from winning a championship.”
The Serbian improved on his performances from 2024 and 2025 — when he was eliminated on both occasions in the semi-finals — and managed to add 500 points to his ATP ranking. Although at this stage rankings matter little to Nole, he has managed, with a reduced schedule, to place himself once again as world No. 3 — behind only Alcaraz and Sinner.
Djokovic will now take a couple of weeks of rest before his next challenge. Nole is expected to travel to Qatar for the ATP 500 Doha Open — where he will once again cross paths with Alcaraz and Sinner, this time in the Middle East.
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