Novak Djokovic he won the Australian Open final and became number 1 on the ATP, after defeating Stéfanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling match. With this historic win, he equals Rafael Nadal as the most winning Grand Slam tennis player in history.
A year after being deported from Australia and seeing from a distance how the Spaniard broke the men’s record for Grand Slams, the Serb reinforced the 22 grand. And it is that Djokovic went to Melbourne with a clear objective: «I want to be the best, I want to win the biggest tournaments in the world. It is no secret,» he said before the tournament.
And what is necessary. In the final, at the Rod Laver Arena, he prevailed 3-6, 6-7 and 6-7 over the Greek. He was the undisputed favorite in a tournament in which he has not lost since 2018.
But the road to the title was not entirely easy. A left thigh injury in early January clouded the Serb’s prospects, even damaging his appearance in Australia.
At times in pain, at times barely able to run, a half-gas Djokovic raffled the first week and only escaped a set in the second round against the unknown Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, number 191 in the world.
Instead of training on rest days, he spent the day hooked up to recovery machines and undergoing anti-inflammatory treatments. And in the round of 16, the pain suddenly disappeared and his best tennis emerged to reach the final.
Determined to send «a message» to his rivals that the Melbourne king was back, he defeated the Australian Alex de Minaur and to russian andrei rublevconceding just 12 games in those two rounds and advancing to their tenth semifinals at this tournament.
Still far from that sublime level, affected by the controversy surrounding his father, who appeared in some images with pro-Russian fans and chose not to watch the game live, he also got rid of the American with solvency tommy paul.
WEATHER EDITORIAL
*With agency information.