Rafael Nadal, who has personally experienced Novak Djokovic’s tennis prowess, finds himself unable to root for Djokovic in the upcoming 2026 Australian Open final.

The memory of their legendary clash in the 2012 final lingers in Nadal’s mind—a match many tennis enthusiasts consider among the sport’s greatest.

The 2012 Australian Open men’s final set a new benchmark for tennis, stretching the physical and emotional boundaries of both players in unprecedented ways.

Throughout nearly six hours, Nadal and Djokovic engaged in grueling rallies, displaying relentless defense and fearless shot-making as the match extended deep into the night in Melbourne.

One unforgettable moment was a grueling 31-shot rally, which left Djokovic sprawled on the court and Nadal exhausted on the sidelines, epitomizing the intense demands placed on both athletes.

Novak Djokovic roars after claiming the 2012 Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal

Djokovic prevailed in the longest Australian Open final of all time between the two best players in the world at the time

Nadal could not hide his angst at being outlasted in the epic final that tennis fans revere as one of the greatest of all time

Reflecting on the epic exchange, Djokovic later remarked, “I was just thinking of getting some air and trying to recover for the next point… A thousand thoughts were going through my mind.”

Djokovic eventually prevailed at 1:37am, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in a finish that felt almost surreal.

He later admitted, ‘It was obvious on the court for everybody who watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies.’

Nadal, despite defeat, framed the night as something bigger than the result.

‘This one was very special,’ he said, adding that it would stay with him ‘not because I lost, no, because the way that we played.’

Now, Nadal has touched down in Melbourne for the Australian Open again, but this time in the unfamiliar role as spectator.

And he had plenty of praise for his old rival Djokovic, who outlasted world No.2 Jannik Sinner in his quest for a record 11th Australian Open crown.  

‘It’s a positive example of commitment, of resilience,’ Nadal said of the 38-year-old. 

Rafael Nadal is now retired from tennis and has touched down in Melbourne for the 2026 Aussie Open final

Nadal is reunited with his former Australian Open driver Iain Moffat at Melbourne Park 

Nadal has great respect for Djokovic but believes Alcaraz will prevail in the final this time

‘Novak, for obvious reasons, he’s not at his prime. But he is still very, very competitive at an age that is difficult to be very competitive. Full respect.

‘This is a bit of a legacy for the next generations – we have shown that by doing things well, being professional, having the excitement, the motivation and the passion for what you do and a good team behind you, you can go further.’

While Nadal is full of respect, that only extends so far. Because he believes that youth will prevail and world No.1 Alcaraz will have Djokovic’s measure.  

‘If Novak wins, I will be happy for him because in some ways, it is spectacular what he’s doing at this stage of his career,’ Nadal said.

‘So I will be happy. It will not be a drama for me.

‘But if I have to support someone, I feel I have to support Carlos.’

Alcaraz is on the precipice of sporting immortality himself after overcoming cramping, a fuming Alexander Zverev and a fifth-set deficit to cement his place among the tennis legends with a drama-charged Australian Open semi-final triumph in Melbourne.

The world No.1 received a controversial medical time-out deep in the third set before recovering to outlast and ‘exhausted’ Zverev 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 in a five-hour, 27-minute classic at Melbourne Park on Friday.

Alcaraz looked gone in his semifinal against Alexander Zverev after suffering from cramps 

The world No.1 recovered, though, to reach the 2026 decider against Novak Djokovic

Alcaraz looked headed for the exit gates when Zverev served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set before the indomitable Spaniard dug deep to deny the German third seed a second straight Open final spot.

‘Believing. Believing all the time,’ Alcaraz said.

‘I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what, no matter what you’re struggling, what you’ve been through.

‘No matter anything, you’ve still got to believe in yourself all the time.

‘I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career, I would say.

‘But I’ve been in these kind of situations. I’ve been in these kind of matches before, so I knew what I had to do.

‘I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it. I fought until the last ball.’