The Spanish tennis legend will watch the final in Melbourne live at the stadium.
Rafael Nadal is back in Melbourne and can hardly wait for the men’s final of the Australian Open. “It will be a pleasure to watch the final live,” said the Spanish clay court king ahead of Sunday’s duel between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. His sympathies are clearly divided ahead of the match, despite his great respect for Djokovic’s performance.
“Novak and I have an amazing history together, having fought for the most important titles over the years, and I wish him all the best,” Nadal said. “But if I have to support someone, it’s probably Carlos.” The two Spaniards, Nadal and Alcaraz, played together in doubles at the 2024 Olympics. Djokovic’s masterpiece in the semifinals against Jannik Sinner impressed the 22-time Grand Slam winner, who has long battled the Serb for the record for major tournament wins (24). “If Novak wins, I will be happy for him, because what he is achieving at this stage of his career is spectacular in a way,” said Nadal, who has won the Australian Open twice himself.
Djokovic (38) is a “positive example of commitment and perseverance,” the 39-year-old explained: “Novak is obviously no longer in his prime, but he is still very, very competitive at an age when that is difficult. I have great respect for him.”
