Melbourne Park was filled with many famous people, like Margaret Court and Mark Webber, but among them, a certain gladiator seemed to radiate their energy. Rafael Nadal, the two-time Australian Open champion, was back at the season’s first Grand Slam for the first time since his retirement in 2024. However, this time, his view was different.

Not on the court, but he was in the audience. But, during an exclusive interview with Ollie Haig of 9 News Australia, the Spaniard revealed his only regret before the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, saying, “I think that brings a little bit of this nostalgic energy to the fans. It’s a shame that we were not together, to be honest, but we’ll have time for that.”

He misses his arch-rival. The “Night of Legends” featured interactive activities and other Australian greats like Ash Barty. However, Roger Federer was present in an earlier exhibition match that took place days before Nadal’s arrival, at the start of the tournament. For the Swiss legend, it was true that after six years, he arrived at the Rod Laver Arena. “I’ve missed you too. It’s just where I left off,” Federer said to the AO crowd.

The exhibition match saw Federer team up with not only Andre Agassi but also later with Barty, taking down Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter 2-4, 4-2, 4-2. The doubles match also saw Djokovic in the audience; mid-match, he had a wholesome moment with the Swiss.

So, with Nadal arriving at the AO a few days later, it made him miss out on meeting his once arch-rival in the sport. However, he’s glad that the Australian Open crowd was able to witness such legends at Melbourne Park, blessing their vision. However, are you aware that Djokovic had a specific message for the Spanish legend following his match against Alcaraz?

Novak Djokovic’s statement to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open final

For Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open could’ve been a career 25th Grand Slam, but Carlos Alcaraz (2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5) broke that dream, including a streak of ten AO final triumphs. And with the grandstands having Spanish legend Rafael Nadal in the audience, the Serb said, “I wanna speak to the legendary Rafa who’s in the stands. It feels very weird to see you there and not here.”

Furthermore, Djokovic said, “I just wanna say it’s an honor to share the court with you and to have you watching the finals here.. it’s the first time for me. Obviously a bit of a strange feeling but thank you for being present.” The two have met each other on 60 various occasions throughout their tennis careers. For the Serb, watching Nadal in the stands instead on the blue Aussie hard court felt weird.

Even if the 38-year-old lost the match, his humor didn’t leave him. “Too many Spanish legends. It felt like it was 2 against 1 tonight. It wasn’t fair but okay,” Djokovic said, pointing towards Nadal and Alcaraz. This showcased how their relationship has been built not only upon the hard battles on the court, but also upon mutual respect.