Six weeks ago, we auctioned Novak Djokovic’s racquet from winning point in the 2012 Australian Open Final – the longest grand slam final in history – for $540,000 to set a record for any tennis item. Offered now is another racquet from that epic five hour and 53-minute victory over Rafael Nadal. Professionally photo-matched to an earlier round in the tournament, this racquet was strung on Sunday, January 29 (according to the sticker code), for the Final at Rod Laver Arena. While photo-matching to the Final was inconclusive, video evidence from the first set and impeccable provenance prove it was one of Djoker’s match used racquets from the six-hour marathon.

     Following championship point – after ripping off his shirt in celebration and getting a short breather on his player bench – Djokovic gifted two of his match racquets to spectators in the crowd. The story of one has already been told – that being the half-mil racquet he used to finish off Nadal at 1:37 a.m. local time in Melbourne after five grueling sets (5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, and 7-5). The story of this one further demonstrates just how generous and appreciative the legendary Serb is when it comes to his fans and supporters.

Provenance from a "Lucky Kid"

     14-year-old Gianluca Toscano attended the 2012 Aussie Open Men’s Final with his father, a professional sports photographer based in Melbourne named John Toscano who shot the entire match courtside. (Toscano regularly shoots some of the biggest tennis and Formula One events.for Australian mainstream media.) Here is an excerpt from Gianluca's letter of provenance.

     "I was seated at the back rows of the stadium, and at the end of the match at 1:40 am, as people were leaving [Rod Laver Arena], I made my way down to the front row just behind Novak's chair. I noticed he had a racquet next to his bag on the seat and yelled out to him for it. He picked it up and tossed it to me. I was absolutely blown away that he heard me as you can see in the TV footage. After the official trophy presentation, he made his way towards us fans and signed the racquet, also seen on the TV footage. The next day I took the racquet to where he was having the official winner's photo and was interviewed by the media about my prized racquet and walked with Novak with his arm around me, which is also in the news footage. I was and still am a very lucky kid to have had a gift from my tennis idol."

     As he explains, both the gift toss and the autograph were captured perfectly on video (see for yourself here and here). The next day, Gianluca got to meet Novak personally and cameras followed the two walking and talking together inside Melbourne Park. The local papers picked up this heartwarming story, and the kid became a short-term celebrity in town.

     Fast forward 14 years later and Gianluca is now 28. He is finally ready to part with his cherished item that provided so many great memories and stories over the years.

Racquet Details

     Since 2009, Djokovic has endorsed and used HEAD Speed racquets on tour. He played with this HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315 model from the middle of 2011 until the end of the 2012 calendar year. It has an 18x20 (vertical by horizontal) string pattern and a 27-inch frame painted black and white with orange accents. “NOVAK” is labeled within the throat across from a manually affixed “SUN 27.0” white sticker, which corresponds to the day of the week the racquet was strung and its frame length. It is important to note that the only Sunday match for Djoker during the 2012 Aussie Open was the Final on January 29, and the $540k racquet had the exact same sticker. (Pro players typically carry three to five freshly strung racquets in their bags for a match in the event of a long five-setter, broken strings, sweaty grip, etc.) Adjacent is a smaller “B107901” serial numbered decal. The butt underneath the handle is properly sized at 4-3/8 inches.

     Novak is very particular about his racquets, placing two gray strips of lead tape along the inner frame beam to achieve his desired weight on the racquet head. His custom grip on the handle is double wrapped over Calfskin leather, creating side bevels to make it more rectangular. In addition, he uses natural animal gut material (from sheep or cow intestines) for his vertical strings. His racquet is strung at such high tension that the vertical gut strings tend to break on their own just a few months after use.

     The racquet displays evidence of significant use with scratches and marks from the Australian Open hardcourt on the outer beam – ideal matching points that allowed for multiple photo-matches. The white-taped grip on the handle has yellowed a bit from perspiration and storage. Djokovic’s autograph on the handle comes in black marker (8/10 strength). Eight of the vertical strings have naturally snapped from their grommet attachment points as animal gut is prone to do. All other elements are as-issued and problem-free.

Authentication

     Photo-match paperwork from Resolution Photomatching has conclusively identified this racquet as having been used by Djokovic in the second round of the 2012 Australian Open against Santiago Giraldo of Colombia on Thursday, January 19. Novak dominated the match, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, and 6-1. Blue marks on the bumper guard along with silver scratches and paint chips on the outer rim were key matching points.

     No official ResMatches were made to the other rounds, but we were told that several images from the Jan. 29^th Final against Nadal were “inconclusive” as opposed to “conclusive non-matches.” It should be noted that we did not consult with another 3^rd party photo-matching service, making a potential photo-match to the record-long Final possible. John Toscano, the consignor's photographer father who shot the entire match, has provided video clips from the first set indicating Novak changed racquets three times before the second set even began. Of course, there is no disputing video footage of this racquet as the one Djoker gifted to and signed for our consignor right after the Final inside Rod Laver Arena. An additional letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA has certified Novak's signature (LOA to be posted upon its arrival).

The Tournament and Final Match

     The paths for #1 seed Novak Djokovic and #2 seed Rafael Nadal to reach the 2012 Australian Open Final were anything but easy. After straight-set wins in the early rounds, Novak had a challenging four-set victory over Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round. He beat David Ferrer in straight sets in the quarterfinals and avenged his 2011 Aussie Final loss to Andy Murray by overcoming the Brit in a five-set semifinal thriller that took nearly five hours. Nadal’s biggest test leading up to the final came against third-seeded Roger Federer in the semifinals as the Spaniard ended Roger’s 24-match win streak.

     The stage was set for the third consecutive Grand Slam Final between Djokovic and Nadal. After losing to Novak in the previous two major finals, Rafa played with the heart of a lion. The two warriors went back and forth all night with never-ending rallies. The most memorable one took 31 shots, ending with Djokovic flat on his back and Nadal stumbling to the sidelines for reprieve.

     In the end, Djoker’s victory marked his third Australian Open championship and fifth major overall. It was also his third consecutive grand slam title after winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2011. After losing three straight major finals to Djoker, Rafa would get his revenge by beating the Serb at 2012 Roland Garros a few months later.

Legacy Shift

     The significance of the 2012 Australian Open in the pantheon of men’s tennis cannot be understated. Roger Federer entered the tournament having won three straight ATP events. With 16 grand slam titles, the 30-year-old had already passed Pete Sampras (14) for the most by any men’s player. After losing to either Nadal or Djokovic in three straight major semifinals, however, it became clear that Fed’s dominant years were behind him. (He would win just four more grand slams.)

     Djokovic and Nadal – ages 24 and 25, respectively – had taken the torch. Within a decade, each would catch the Swiss maestro’s final tally of 20 majors. Nadal got there first at the 2020 French Open, and when Novak won Wimbledon in 2021 there was a three-way tie. Rafa got two more and retired with 22 majors, while Djoker has now separated himself with 24. The 38-year-old Serbian nearly won his 25^th major at the Australian Open in January, losing in the Final to world #1 Alcaraz. Objectively, the greatest men’s player of all time is no longer an argument.