An emotional Novak Djokovic completed an extraordinary turnaround after the events of a year ago as he resumed his hegemony over the Australian Open.
The 35-year-old Serb, who was jailed and deported last January over visa issues linked to his unvaccinated status, won his tenth title when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 in two hours and 56 minutes in a scrappy Rod Laver. 6, 7: 6 arena defeated.
In doing so, he matched Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22 Grand Slam trophies in his 33rd final, in which he brought the crushing weight of his experience to bear.
Novak Djokovic won a record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam title in Melbourne on Sunday
The Serb was overcome with emotion after winning at Melbourne Park just a year after his controversial deportation from Australia for not being vaccinated against Covid-19
Tsitsipas, presented with the runner-up trophy, heralded Djokovic as ‘the greatest player to ever hold a racquet’.
Djokovic had been crying uncontrollably as he celebrated with his family and continued as he returned to his chair.
He said: “What a journey it has been for my family, my team and myself. I appreciate the patience and love you give me.
“This was one of the most challenging tournaments I’ve ever played in my life. I didn’t play last year and came back this year and I want to thank all the people who made me feel comfortable.
The Serb defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 7-6 7-6 to claim a record 10th Australian Open title
Djokovic celebrated with his team and family Dijana who patted him on the back here
Djokovic appeared to have a series of altercations with his coach Goran Ivanisevic (right, wearing the black and yellow t-shirt) throughout the game.
“There’s a reason I played my best tennis on this court. Only the team knows what we’ve been through in the last five weeks, given the circumstances this is the biggest win of my life.”
A tournament without great matches came to life in the second set as the Greek pressed his opponent heavily, but ultimately it was a well-known story that Djokovic was the stronger when it mattered.
That included the tie break in the third set, where he took a 5-0 lead and then stayed calm as Tsitsipas took the next three points. Djokovic sealed it 7-5 with a forehand on his third match point.
He pointed to his head before climbing into his box to celebrate and then collapsing.
Djokovic was not at his best for large stretches of the final on Sunday and had to dig deep to secure a 10th title at Melbourne Park
Tsitsipas recovered in the second set but missed some glorious chances to equalize
He’s reclaiming the position of world number one despite playing fewer tournaments than his rivals and there’s no denying that.
In the game mechanics, especially in areas like the return, he has the pursuers clearly ahead.
Shortly before the match, the roof opened after previous rain, and it also showed that Djokovic’s controversial father Srdjan had voluntarily stayed away from his box.
There was also no sign of the usual hamstring strapping that had been evident, albeit redundant, in previous rounds.
Djokovic was yelled at by Serbian fans in the stands of Rod Laver Arena throughout the game
But his father was absent from his high-profile appearance in a film with pro-Russian supporters after the uproar, leaving the seat next to his mother (second row) empty
If that was to avoid a distraction, it seemed to be working as Djokovic was totally dialed in from the start.
Tsitsipas had no answers for his relentless consistency and every hold was hard work compared to a walk for the Serb.
He broke to make it 3-1 thanks to a double fault and was in no danger of losing the lead.
It wasn’t until the third game of the second set that Tsitsipas started looking to see if he could get more out of a match, shooting into his forehand and pulling the first murmur of the previously calm Djokovic towards his box.
Tsitsipas changed his return position and kept thriving until, as the crowd increasingly got behind him, he broke and went 5-4, which Djokovic saved with a winning forehand drive.
The tiebreak was an odd affair, tense and rough, and neither player wanted to seize the moment.
Tsitsipas was on the rise as he capitalized on mistakes to bounce back from 1-4 to 4-4. That’s when it became clear who owns 21 Grand Slam titles compared to zero.
Errors spilled over into the third set as they traded breaks early on, but soon Djokovic looked unbreakable on serve, reeling off holds with ease.
Tsitsipas made a good swing to get the tie break but again didn’t have the composure to keep up with his opponent.