Djokovic, Nadal Can Only Meet in Final at Australian Open

Spain's Rafael Nadal (R) shakes hands with Serbia's Novak Djokovic after winning at the end of their men's singles match on day ten of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris, France, on June 1, 2022. Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images

MELBOURNE, Australia—Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it last year when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the country because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. He also couldn’t compete at the 2022 U.S. Open.