Revisiting Rafael Nadal’s Desperate Attempt to Deny Novak Djokovic a Point at the Australian Open

A fierce battle etched in epic matches is just a perfect explanation for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic‘s rivalry. Even though times have changed, there are a lot of instances when their rivalry was quite evident on the court. Just like that, 11 years ago, during the Australian Open final, their battle became the center of attention as the Spaniard went high to go against Djokovic.

While it was a match between two tennis titans, there was a moment when the 22-time Grand Slam champion pulled an act against his rival. But rather than giving him an edge, it backfired, giving an edge to his opponent to grab the Grand Slam title.

When Rafael Nadal pulled a game up against Novak Djokovic

While the rivalry between the big three players was clear, the 37-year-old Spanish tennis player went against himself just to bring down his rival. During the Australian Open 2012, Nadal challenged his serve so that Djokovic, who was standing on the other side of the net, could not pull a score against him.

At that time, in between the matches, there was a moment when the Spaniard pulled a desperate move, but it somehow backfired on him. He went against his serve so that when the 24-time Grand Slam champion hit the ball, he did not get a winning point.

However, even after making his rival fume over the act, the game plan didn’t go as expected. Consecutively, even after trying a lot and pulling strings from here and there, by changing his game plan, he was not able to win the title. You read it right; it was the 36-year-old Serbian tennis player who lifted the Australian Open title that year and gave his rival an answer with his victory.

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Moreover, even in their multiple face-offs in the past, both of them have given tough competition to each other in such a way that there had to be a ratio of 30:29, among which Djokovic has won just a match more than the Spaniard. But do you know that after so many years of the Australian Open victory, is there one guilty pleasure that the Serbian tennis player had before getting into his Champions routine?

Djokovic’s guilty pleasure from his champion’s routine 

Although the 2012 Australian Open final has been held as “the single greatest tennis match of all time.” after displaying remarkable skills and reaching the top after the Australian Open, he looked for the comfort and delight that he hadn’t tasted since the summer of 2010.

After playing one of the longest matches in history, he sat down in the locker room and wanted to taste chocolate to celebrate his victory and discipline. He explained how he broke into a candy bar and let it melt in his mouth, just to get a perfect taste, while celebrating his devotion to reaching the top and bringing the best on the tennis court.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the 2012 Australian Open clash? Write down your thoughts in the comment section below.

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