Following in the footsteps of his longtime rival and friend Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal is set to return to the Australian Open for the first time since his retirement.
Last Saturday, Federer featured in a ‘Battle of the World No. 1s’ exhibition doubles match alongside Ash Barty, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter, as part of the Australian Open’s first-ever opening ceremony. It marked Federer’s first appearance at the iconic Rod Laver Arena since 2020.
Three years after his last appearance at the Australian Open, Nadal is now set to return to Melbourne Park. His previous outing came in 2023, when he suffered a second-round defeat and picked up an injury that would ultimately derail the latter part of his career. Nadal later retired in 2024 after representing Spain at the Davis Cup Finals.
Unlike Federer, however, Nadal will not take part in any exhibition matches in Melbourne. Instead, he will feature at the AO Night of Legends event on the men’s singles final day. Joined by Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott at the Kia Arena, Nadal will share stories from his Australian Open journey and reflect on his legacy at the tournament.
Nadal’s last appearance at a tennis-related event came at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last year, where he attended in his role as the Saudi Tennis Ambassador. Prior to that, he travelled to Paris for the French Open, where organisers paid a heartfelt tribute to the 14-time champion during a special farewell ceremony at Roland Garros. The 22-time Grand Slam winner was joined by fellow members of the Big Four – Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Earlier on Saturday, Federer teamed up with Barty and Agassi to beat the Australian pair of Hewitt and Rafter 2-4, 4-2, 4-2 in a star-studded doubles clash. Djokovic was present at the venue as a spectator.
The event was organised as a fitting farewell to Federer, who won six of his 20 career Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, including his final major. His last appearance at the tournament came in 2020, when he lost in the semifinals before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for an extended period. Although he briefly returned in 2021, the comeback proved short-lived, and the Swiss great eventually retired at the 2022 Laver Cup.