MELBOURNE, Australia—Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic own the two largest collections of Grand Slam trophies in the history of men’s tennis. They are their sport’s two most prominent active figures; no one else is even close. Both are in their mid-30s; no one knows how much longer they’ll be at the top of the game.
For all that the long-time rivals have in common, Nadal and Djokovic could hardly be entering this Australian Open, which begins Monday (Sunday EST), under more contrasting circumstances.
