The tennis racket utilized by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during his victorious 2012 Australian Open final matchup was sold at auction for a sum of $540,000, according to the SCP Auctions website.
Djokovic triumphed over Spain’s Rafael Nadal in that 2012 final with a scoreline of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5. The contest spanned an intensive 5 hours and 53 minutes, marking it as the lengthiest Grand Slam final ever recorded.
ESPN reports that this realized price sets a new benchmark for any piece of tennis equipment sold at auction. The previous high of $173,000 was held by the racket used by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz when he defeated Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final to secure his inaugural title at that event.
Djokovic is currently 38 years old. His career tally includes 24 Grand Slam championships (French Open – 3 wins, Wimbledon – 7, US Open – 4, Australian Open – 10), which constitutes the record in men’s singles. In terms of total major victories, the tennis player shares the leading position with Australia’s Margaret Court. In total, Djokovic has amassed 101 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles titles. The Serbian athlete has also claimed Olympic gold (2024), an Olympic bronze medal (2008), and the Davis Cup (2010). Djokovic holds the ultimate record for time spent ranked world number one, accumulating 428 weeks in that position. Just this past Sunday, Djokovic was defeated by Alcaraz in the final of the Australian Open, resulting in his first-ever loss in a championship match held in Melbourne.
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