Rafael Nadal has revealed that he is backing his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the highly anticipated men's Australian Open final on Sunday, despite the 'incredible' history that he shares with his opponent Novak Djokovic. Djokovic meanwhile at 38 will look to become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam, while claiming his record-shattering 25th major title. Nadal did admit that he has an 'incredible history' with Djokovic, and wished him 'the best' in the showdown. Zverev complained to Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli that this was 'bulls***' and 'unbelievable', ranting that Sinner and Alcaraz were 'protected' by the tour as its two strongest players. One of their most potent meetings came when the elder man defeated Alcaraz to win the gold medal in Paris two years ago.

Source: Daily Mail January 31, 2026 20:43 UTC