The 2017 Australian Open finals are a gift from the sports gods

After Rafael Nadal beat Grigor Dimitrov on Friday morning to advance to the men’s final of the Australian Open, he closed his eyes and raised his arms, both fists clenched, to the sky. The relief played across his face as he toweled off after his long, five-set battle against the 25-year-old Bulgarian. A battle which, now that he’s won, means he’ll face Roger Federer in the final of the year’s first Grand Slam. A matchup that, at the end of both men’s seasons last year, seemed highly unlikely.

“I never, ever dreamed I’d be back in a Final,” Nadal said during his on-court interview. “For sure, we never thought that we had the chance to be, again, in a final. And especially in the first of the year. Both of us, I think, worked very hard to be where we are. Is great that, again, we are in a moment like this and we going to have a chance again to enjoy.”

Federer and Nadal are meeting in the finals of a Grand Slam for the ninth time, though they haven’t faced off in one since the 2011 French Open (Nadal hasn’t been in a Grand Slam final since the French Open in 2014). Before that, the two met at the Australian Open final in 2009, and before that, they played at Wimbledon in 2008.

Hold on, wait a minute, didn’t Venus and Serena Williams, two of America’s most gifted athletes, also play each other in the 2008 final at Wimbledon? And aren’t they ... aren’t they playing each other in the Australian Open final this weekend, too?

Yes. They are. Which means that this weekend we will witness — almost 10 years later — a rematch of two of tennis’ most storied and longest-running rivalries, friendships, and (in the Williams’ case) sisterhoods. It feels like a small bone thrown from the sports gods who see a world in need of something, anything, worth celebrating right now.

It’s hard to believe that either of these matchups are happening, let alone in the same Grand Slam. Especially after last season, when Federer announced that he wouldn’t play in the French Open and missed his first Grand Slam in nearly 17 years. Up until last May, he’d played in 65 consecutive major tournaments, but he messed up his knee giving his twin daughters a bath (not than any injuries are sweet, but I do think this is the sweetest way you could sustain one) in January and had to undergo surgery. Then he caught a nasty flu and had to withdraw from the Miami Open. Then his back started acting up, so he skipped out on Madrid. In short, the man who famously avoided injury seemed like he was kind of falling apart.

Federer, now 35, wasn’t the only storied figure missing from the the red clay courts of Roland Garros: Nadal, now 30, who played the first few rounds of the tournament, had to bow out, too. He eventually pulled out of the entire rest of the 2016 season with a wrist injury.

Men’s international tennis has been dominated by Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic for close to two decades now. Their careers have made this a golden age for the sport and beautiful, powerful styles of play. Sure, Murray and Djokovic — who’ll both turn 30 this spring — were dominant last year, but as Federer and Nadal appeared to wobble on their pedestals, it was impossible not to wonder if maybe, this was the beginning of the end.

Nadal as much admitted that it might be when he said Friday morning that he “never, ever” thought he’d be back in a Grand Slam final. Humans age. Tennis is hard on the knees, the wrists, the shoulders. And on the psyche; the professional tour is grueling and long. It’s a lonely sport when you’re out there, a game of fuzzy-balled chess that’s as much about mental stamina as it is physical.

The Williams sisters, however, don’t seem to be susceptible to the passage of time. Serena won her 22nd title at Wimbledon last year at the age of 34, tying Steffi Graf’s all-time wins record. Venus and Serena won women’s doubles at Wimbledon together last year, too. Now, at 36, Venus is the second-oldest woman to ever make it into a Grand Slam final, and she and Serena will face off in the Australian Open for the first time in 14 years.

The Williams’ beat the top names in tennis to get there, denying players who are 10 years younger. No matter who wins, it’ll be historic: Serena will either smash Graf’s record, or Venus will win her first Australian Open and become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam.

But there’s something else besides records and incredible tennis that these four players in both the men’s and women’s finals represent. And that’s a sense of graciousness towards each other.

Nadal, Federer, Serena, and Venus are fan favorites and some of the most compelling characters in tennis not only because of their prowess on the court but because of their grace towards their opponents (although, yes, Serena’s been known to smash a racket or two out of frustration over her own game). These are competitions rooted in kindness, and involve decades-long histories of respect and admiration. Federer recently called himself Nadal’s number one fan.

And for the Williams sisters, of course, it’s about family. After Venus beat CoCo Vandeweghe to make it to the final, Serena said this of her sister and best friend:

“Honestly, she’s an inspiration, and she really deserves all the credit today. I am so honored to play her, and she really played so hard, and to get this far, after everything that she’s gone through, she inspires me. So I just really want to give her such a congratulations. … For us both to be in the final is the biggest dream come true for us.”

Who knows if either or any of these tennis stars will ever meet each other in the final of a Grand Slam again. This could be the glorious sunset to a glorious era. But that doesn’t change the fact that these matches are a bright spot that a lot of us could use. They’ll be a joy to watch and the winners a joy to cheer for, no matter who they end up being.

And if we’ve learned anything since they all turned pro in the ‘90s and early 2000s, it’s that none of these players should be underestimated. Maybe, in 2018, I’ll get to write this article all over again, just with even more incredulity and delight.