Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal reached Melbourne for a special appearance at the Australian Open’s Night of Legends on February 1, the same day as the men’s singles final between 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Roland Garros posted a video of Nadal’s arrival in the sporting arena. ‘A very familiar face made an appearance at the Australian Open,’ they wrote on X.
The 39-year-old tennis great will be joined by former world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and Australian wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott during the event, which 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. The Spanard is likely to attend both the women’s and men’s finals from the players’ box.
Nadal, who retired from tennis in November 2024, lifted the trophy at Melbourne Park in 2009 and 2022, needing five sets in both finals to win the title. In the 2022 final, Nadal mounted an epic comeback from two sets to love down against Daniil Medvedev to reign victorious after a five-hour, 24-minute battle. The Spaniard tallied a 77-16 match record at the season’s first major, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index.
The 2012 final clash between Nadal and Djokovic is still the longest ever match in Australian Open history. The title match lasted 5 hr 53 minutes and was won by the Serbian. Before Nadal, fellow tennis great Roger Federer also made a special appearance during the tournament’s opening ceremony, joining a star-studded lineup that included Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, and Ashleigh Barty in a celebratory exhibition.