Throughout his legendary career on the ATP Tour, Novak Djokovic has come across some incredibly difficult opponents.
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Prior to the ‘new two’ taking over at the top of men’s tennis, Djokovic had to compete in arguably the hardest era in the sport’s history.
He was faced with the other three members of the ‘big four’: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
Though each of them caused him problems, it was Nadal on the other side of the net during the match that Djokovic now admits was the most difficult he has ever played.
Novak Djokovic’s match with Rafael Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final
In a post on Instagram uploaded by ‘Alex the tennis pro’, Djokovic was asked to pick the toughest match of his career.
The 38-year-old responded: “The 2012 final of the Australian Open with Nadal.”
Djokovic’s clash with Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final was arguably the greatest match in tennis history, between perhaps the two greatest players of all time.
Their bout was, and still is, both the longest Australian Open match ever and the longest Grand Slam singles final in history, lasting five hours and 53 minutes.
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After going a set down that day, Djokovic won the second and third sets, but Nadal forced a decider by emerging victorious in the fourth-set tiebreak, before falling to his knees in celebration as if he had won the match.
In an incredible fifth-set display, however, Djokovic sealed the victory to claim his third Australian Open title and fifth major overall.
The two stars could barely stand during the award ceremony, showing the extremely demanding battle that they had just been through.
Casper Ruud wished he could change the result of the 2012 Australian Open final
Casper Ruud, a self-confessed lifetime fan of Nadal, said in 2022 that he wished he could change the result of the 2012 Australian Open final.
As per TNT, “I think I can say for Rafa, I wish I could change one result in the history of tennis, and I don’t know if he’ll be angry or happy for me saying this.
“It’s not the Roland Garros final this year [2022] because it was not a very close match, but Rafa’s Australian Open loss in 2012 against Novak.
“I was probably even sadder than himself because that was watching six hours of TV and hoping Rafa would win, and then it was probably one of the best matches ever.
“I think for days, I was still sad about the loss for him, and I still wish today that he could have won.”
Ruud lost to Nadal in the 2022 Roland Garros final in straight sets, with the King of Clay clinching a record-extending 14th Paris crown that year.
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