Nadal, Federer to face off in Australian Open finals
Longtime rivals Roger Federer, the No. 17 seed, and Rafael Nadal, the No. 9 seed, will face off Sunday in the Australian Open singles finals. Nadal made it to his first Grand Slam final since 2014 after a nearly five-hour-long semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov that began in Melbourne on Friday evening and didn't wrap up until 12:44 a.m. local time Saturday.
Federer and Nadal haven't faced each other in a Grand Slam final since the 2011 French Open, where Nadal beat Federer in four sets. Though Nadal has beat Federer in 9 out of their 11 Grand Slam matchups, he has been sidelined in recent years because of injuries. Nadal will be fighting for his 15th major title, while Federer will be battling for his 18th.
But before Federer and Nadal face off, sisters Serena Williams, the No. 2 seed, and Venus Williams, the No. 13 seed, will take the court for the women's final Saturday. Venus' success in the semifinals Tuesday over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova advanced her to a Grand Slam final for the first time in eight years:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Williams sisters are "the two active players with the most Grand Slam singles titles," The New York Times reported. Serena has won 22 titles, while Venus has won seven.
Between the men's and the women's finals, this will be "the first Grand Slam tournament in the Open era in which all four singles finalists are 30 or older," the Times noted. Nadal is 30, Federer is 35, Serena is 35, and Venus is 36.
The women's match starts Saturday at 7:30 p.m. local time, or 3:30 a.m. ET. The men's starts Sunday at 7:30 p.m. local time, or 3:30 a.m. ET.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 drinks for every winter need possible
The Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?
Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published