The six-time event winner and now retired Swiss player and the Spaniard, who won the title twice, won’t be in the tournament. Djokovic will represent the Big Three.
The absence of Rafa Nadal due to the muscle injury he suffered during the ATP 250 Brisbane International means that, for the first time in 25 years, the Australian Open will be held without him and Roger Federer.
The last time that none of them played in the Oceanic Grand Slam tournament was in the 1999 edition. The Swiss made his debut in 2000 and didn’t miss the event until 2021. During that time he won six titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, and 2018).
Nadal, meanwhile, made his first appearance in 2004 (he reached the third round) and won in 2009 and 2022. He didn’t compete in 2006 and 2013 due to injury. When he won his first title in Melbourne, he made Federer cry in the final.
“This is killing me”, Roger said during the trophy ceremony, as the Balearic player defeated him once again in that period.
That was one of the four games that Nadal and Federer played in the tournament. Rafa won three of them, the aforementioned final in 2009, and the 2012 and 2014 semifinals, while Roger took revenge in the 2017 title match, although Nadal was close to winning that match.
In the absence of Nadal and Federer, Novak Djokovic will be the only representative of the Big Three in Melbourne, although the Serbian landed in Melbourne feeling some discomfort in his right wrist, after getting injured some days ago during the United Cup. The Belgrade native has won the Australian Open 10 times so far.
