In a week that began with Novak Djokovic lamenting the demise of free speech, his ability to express himself with racket in hand remains undiminished.
Djokovic has let his tennis do the talking at the ATP Finals in Turin, opening his challenge with statement wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, shifting to warrior mode to overcome Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz, and finally outclassing Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3 to equal Roger Federer’s record haul of six titles at the season-ending showpiece.
Djokovic, 35, also eclipsed the Swiss as the oldest winner in the event’s history and, as an undefeated champion, pocketed a cheque for $4.7m, the biggest payday in the sport’s history.
More importantly, though, this was a victory that brought Djokovic full circle. Having started the year as the undisputed world No 1 before sliding down the ladder as the consequences of his refusal to take a Covid vaccine took hold, the Serb ended it with a reaffirmation of his top-dog status – and never mind what the rankings, or his detractors, might say.
Ranked fifth, Djokovic now stands exactly 2,000 points behind the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz – the very same number he would have collected for his seventh Wimbledon victory, had the ATP not stripped the tournament of ranking points.
Earlier this week, Djokovic told Italian reporters that criticism of the reasoning offered for his “my body, my choice” stance on vaccination, which led to his controversial deportation from Australia in January and later cost him the chance to compete at the US Open, has made him feel freedom of speech has become “an illusion”. What has not been illusory, in a year of unprecedented if largely self-inflicted upheaval, is his enduring excellence.
Djokovic has lost just once in 19 matches since Wimbledon, his defeat to Holger Rune in the Paris Masters final the only blemish on a run that has brought titles in Tel Aviv and Astana to go with the sixth Rome Masters crown he won in May. His season’s tally of five tournament wins has been equalled only by Alcaraz. The Serb refused to declare himself the best player in the world, however.
“I’m not, I’m fifth,” said Djokovic. “The rankings show who had the best year, and Alcaraz is the No 1 in the world.
“But in my mind, I always see myself as the best player in the world, of course. I have that kind of mentality and that kind of approach. Regardless of who is across the net, regardless of what the surface is, regardless of what season it is, what number of the professional season in my career we’re facing, it’s always the same.
“The ambitions are as high as possible. That kind of approach, I feel it brought me to where I am, sitting here today as a 35-year-old, holding one of the biggest trophies in the sport.
“I’m very hungry to prove that I’m still one of the best players in the world, that I can win big trophies.”
That hunger was evident against Ruud, who made life difficult for Djokovic in the early stages but was ultimately unable to avoid another disappointing addition to a back catalogue that includes defeats in this season’s Miami Open, Roland Garros and US Open finals.
Ruud struggled to find his first serve initially and was forced to fend off two break points in his opening service game. Once the Norwegian found his rhythm, though, he matched Djokovic step for step. Both men would finish the set with an 86% success rate behind their first serves, yet it was always Djokovic, who did not face a break point throughout, that made the more serene progress.
“His serve is one of the best,” said Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic. “People, they don’t talk [about it], because they have so many other things [to admire], they forget.
“He has one of the best serves. Especially when it’s tight, it’s tough, especially this week, he was hitting unbelievable serves under pressure.”
Further signs of the physical frailty that first surfaced during Friday’s gruelling three-set win over Medvedev made the need for such excellence all the greater. Holding his temples and towelling himself furiously at the changeovers, Djokovic looked almost disconsolate at times. Any encouragement Ruud might have drawn from his opponent’s plight was tempered, however, by the need to defend a third break point at 3-4, which the 23-year-old duly managed with a clever change of pace on serve.
As against Fritz in the previous round, it was Djokovic’s ability to raise his game at the key moments that proved decisive. With Ruud serving to stay in the opener at 30-15, a scorching forehand winner from Djokovic afforded a glimmer of opportunity that grew brighter when the Serb successfully challenged an unreturnable first serve. Two perfectly measured rallies followed, Djokovic twice drawing errors from Ruud’s weaker backhand side, and the set was over.
More immaculate ball-striking secured a break in the fourth game of the second set, at which point Ruud’s race was effectively run.
“It’s been disappointing to end up losing these big finals,” he said. “[But] if you gave me an offer to end the year at No 3, play the finals that I’ve played, [on] the first of January this year, I would probably have signed the contract right away.
“Definitely very happy with the year all in all.”
Given his chaotic start to the season, Djokovic could hardly say the same. Yet, having won a 21st grand slam title and gone undefeated at the ATP Finals for the fourth time in his career, he has every reason to be confident that he can renew his assault on the record books next year.
“Why not try it? Why not dream about it?” said Djokovic, who can dream all the more freely for having been cleared to play at January’s Australian Open, where he is a nine-time champion.
“I have no problem to verbalise that I have biggest goals, that I want to be the best, that I want to win every tournament.
“So see you in Australia.”