Rafael Nadal may have cruised past James Duckworth on day one of the Australian Open, but it was not enough to keep one journalist awake in his post-match media conference.

The Spaniard's 6-4 6-3 7-5 win was his 56th at the grand slam and moved him level with Stefan Edberg in fourth on the list for victories at the event by a man.

Nadal showcased his new serve in Melbourne and looked free from the knee and ankle injuries that have plagued him in recent times.

It took him just over two hours to dispatch Duckworth, but when he addressed the media after the match the eagle-eyed second seed noticed one attendee had nodded off.

"It's not interesting today," Nadal joked after spotting the man asleep.

As the room laughed the journalist woke from his nap, leading to the 17-time major champion joking: "I know you must close your eyes to be more focused on what I am saying."

Nadal will hope to catch everyone's attention in his second-round match against another Australian -  Matt Ebden - on Wednesday.