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Djokovic and Nadal could barely stand during awards presentation

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had just played the longest match in Grand Slam finals history. How did Australian Open officials thank them for the effort? By making them stand through what seemed like the longest awards presentation in Grand Slam history.

Except that the rivals were so exhausted from their five-hour, 53-minute epic that they could barely stay upright. As numerous executives from sponsor companies and Australian tennis droned on about leadership and history, Djokovic and Nadal spent time stretching, resting their hands on their knees and even leaning up against the net for support. ESPN's Chris Fowler joked that both players would have accepted half as much prize money if they were allowed to leave the court to go lay down.

Going from nearly six hours of activity to 10 minutes of standing in place is like a formal invitation for cramping. Thankfully, someone at Rod Laver Arena noticed the pain of Djokovic and Nadal and retrieved them some chairs.

How do you spell relief? S-I-T-T-I-N-G.

It didn't last long, though. Just as Nadal was given his chair, he was called up to the podium to accept his runner-up trophy.

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