Nadal had the opportunity to overtake ‘Big Three’ rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the list of major winners with only a second Melbourne triumph and first since 2009 in Sunday’s showpiece, but he looked to have blown that chance after falling two sets down to the 2021 US Open champion.
Browsing: Aussie Open
Tournament Director Craig Tiley also assured that the safety of players and their staff is top priority, vowing a “happy slam” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 31-year-old had already withdrawn from the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi and has now opted not to play in the Brisbane International in the first week of next month as he recovers from a knee injury.