Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic own the two largest collections of Grand Slam trophies in the history of men’s tennis. Know more:
MELBOURNE, Australia—Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic own the two largest collections of Grand Slam trophies in the history of men’s tennis.
Nadal, of course, is the defending champion at Melbourne Park—thanks to a comeback from two sets down in last year’s final, which he called “one of the most emotional victories of my tennis career” — but he also is mired in about as bad a stretch as he’s ever experienced: 0-2 so far in 2023 and having won just one of his past seven matches dating to the end of last season.
Asked at a pre-tournament news conference Saturday whether he feels vulnerable, Nadal did not try to hide a thing. “Yeah. Without a doubt,” replied the 36-year-old from Spain, whose 2022 was littered with health concerns that included chronic pain in his left foot, damaged rib cartilage and a torn abdominal muscle. “I have been losing more than usual. … I need to live with it and just fight for the victories.
Sure did. None of which matters to Djokovic as much as another Grand Slam title would. Win what would be a 10th Australian Open championship in two weeks’ time, and the 35-year-old from Serbia would increase his haul to 22 majors and pull even with Nadal . He’s been pleased by the greetings he’s received from spectators in Adelaide and Melbourne, where he played an exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena on Friday with Nick Kyrgios—the man Djokovic beat in the Wimbledon final last July.
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