Will Seippel | March 17, 2026

Our WorthPoint Price Guide updates daily, with thousands of new items streaming in from our Industry Partners. I’m a fan of all things vintage, but I’m also a sports fan, so when an item like this one comes along, I like to share the details with our followers. There’s usually a good story behind so many of these pieces, and telling those stories is the best part of my job. Check out this piece of tennis history.

Reflecting on sports history, as the 2026 Winter Olympics conclude, I look ahead to the Summer Olympics in 2028, hoping for iconic moments like those just witnessed: the US claiming gold in both men’s and women’s hockey, and hundreds of athletes competing among the finest in the world.

While not from an Olympic match, Grand Slam tennis tournaments offer similarly high stakes and excitement on an international stage. In 2012, the Australian Open men’s singles final set the record for the longest Grand Slam Final. Recently, SCP Auctions, one of WorthPoint’s valued Industry Partners and a leading sports memorabilia seller, managed the sale of the racket used by Novak Djokovic, the Serbian player, in this marathon match against his rival, Rafael Nadal of Spain. The contest lasted nearly six hours, challenging the endurance of both athletes.

Eventually, Djokovic took the match in five sets: 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5, and his racket, manufactured as a players-only model by Head, sold for $540,000, inclusive of Buyer’s Premium. Not only is the racket an essential part of a moment in sports history, but its provenance is exceptionally well done. Tennis players often use multiple rackets in a match, but SCP verified this racket. It was “resolution matched” with photos, proving it was in Djokovic’s hands when he scored the winning point, ending the record-long match and securing his place in tennis history.

As technology advances, more methods for authenticating auction items will emerge, benefiting collectors and sellers alike. Reliable verification increases confidence in sales and helps establish a trustworthy record of an item’s provenance for future generations.