An exhausted Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal needed intervention from officials after they could barely stay on their feet during an epic Grand Slam final

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are known for their “never say die” attitude, and one match highlighted this more than ever.

With 46 Grand Slam titles between them, the two greats competed against each other in finals more often than any other player, and their battles were almost always fierce and physically exhausting.

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And that was never more evident than during the pair’s brutal clash in the 2012 Australian Open final.

Ranked first and second in the world, respectively, Djokovic was narrowly separated from Nadal in the marathon, which decided the distance.

Ultimately, the Serb emerged victorious, defeating his great rival in five sets and winning 5:7, 6:4, 6:2, 6:7(5), 7:5.

Not only was the match an all-time classic, filled with epic long rallies and spectacular winning shots, but it also made history by becoming the longest singles final of all time.

It took Djokovic a staggering 5 hours and 53 minutes to defeat Nadal, with the decisive clash finally ending at 1:37 on Monday at Rod Laver Arena.

And while Djokovic couldn’t help himself immediately after winning his fifth Grand Slam title and ripping off his shirt to celebrate, the enormous physical toll of the final soon took its toll on both players.

At the awards ceremony, Nadal and Djokovic were completely exhausted waiting to receive their trophies.

So much so that the tournament staff had to put chairs on the court for the two sports legends because they couldn’t stand during the awards ceremony.

The decorated duo could be seen hunched next to each other as they listened to speeches from competition organizers and sponsors, and Djokovic was then spotted yawning.

Utterly exhausted, both players fall back into their seats as the effects of the grueling encounter begin to set in.

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And both players were fully aware of the huge historical significance of the final.

In his post-match speech, Djokovic described it as the most special of his five major victories.

He said, “I think this one comes first because just the fact that we played for almost six hours is amazing, amazing.”

“I think this is probably the longest final in the history of any Grand Slam and just hearing that fact really brings me to tears.

“I am very proud to be part of this history.”

Meanwhile, Nadal remained in good spirits despite the brutal defeat.

In the runner-up’s speech, he greeted the crowds: “Good morning, everyone.”

Then he thought, “This one was special.

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“But I really understand that it was a really special match and probably a match that will stick in my memory not because I lost, no, no, because of the way we played.”

The Spaniard later gained revenge on his opponent at the next ask, beating Djokovic to French Open glory in another Grand Slam that year, triumphing in four sets.

A further seven Roland-Garros titles will go to Nadal in the following years, and he is now preparing to retire from tennis next month with an unprecedented 14 French league titles to his name.

And with the 22-time Grand Slam champion set to retire second only to Djokovic in that category, who boasts 24, the pair’s epic 2012 clash will surely be one that will always remain in his thoughts as he he reflected on his illustrious career.