For Novak Djokovic, it was a victory that turned back time.
Last year, Djokovic arrived in Melbourne as the undisputed world No 1 and reigning Australian Open champion, intent on claiming the 10th title that would move him ahead of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on the all-time list of men’s grand slam winners. A row erupted over his vaccination status, he was deported, and in the months that followed Djokovic slipped down the rankings, became an international pariah, and was overtaken by Nadal in the race to be proclaimed the greatest of all time.
Twelve months on, Djokovic will leave Melbourne as the undisputed world No 1 and reigning Australian Open champion, having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) to claim a record-extending 10th title and haul himself level with Nadal on 22 majors.
It was almost as though he was trying to prove a point.
As Tsitsipas sent a final despairing forehand long, confirming his 10th consecutive loss to the Serb – by whom he was also undone in his only previous appearance in a grand slam final, at the French Open in 2021 – Djokovic turned to his box and pointed to his head, heart and groin. That felt about right. After a victory hewn of granite, and a seventh title from his past nine tournaments, he is once again the alpha male of the tour.
“Only the team and family know what we have been through in the last four or five weeks,” said Djokovic in the emotional aftermath of victory. “This probably is the biggest victory of my life, considering the circumstances.”
It is a measure of how far ahead Djokovic remains of the chasing pack that, for all the challenges he has faced, there was a sense of inevitability about his latest triumph, certainly from the moment it became clear that the hamstring injury he sustained in Adelaide had eased sufficiently for him to beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in round three. He has been in testy mood at times, bridling at scepticism over his physical condition, accusing the media of “publicly lynching” him and repeatedly railing at his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, who copped another earful when Tsitsipas began to test him late in the second set. On court, though, he was never been even remotely in danger, dropping just one set in seven matches.
“He’s getting crazier and crazier,” said Ivanisevic. “I was also a little bit crazy [as a player]. I understand how he feels. I understand the emotions.
“I told him, ‘You can tell me whatever you want, but you have to win, otherwise you have a problem.’”
That problem never looked likely to materialise against Tsitsipas. Not once Djokovic had safely negotiated a set point against his serve at 4-5 in the second set. The Greek insisted otherwise, but he may yet come to be haunted by that moment, just as Daniil Medvedev has been tortured by memories of Nadal’s comeback from two sets to love down in last year’s final. Gifted an opportunity to level the contest as Djokovic bowled in a short second serve at 80mph, Tsitsipas instead became embroiled in a 15-shot rally, apparently content to bide his time for a mistake that never came. Predictably, the exchange ended with Djokovic spearing a forehand winner. An opening that had been one hour and 25 minutes in the making – the length of time it took Tsitsipas to fashion a first break point – had been snuffed out in an instant.
“Novak is a player that pushes you to your limits,” said Tsitsipas, 24 years old and seeded third. “I don’t see this as a curse. I don’t see this as something, like, annoying. This is very good for the sport, to have competitors like him, to have champions like him. He’s very important for us that want to get to his point one day. Getting our asses kicked is for sure a very good lesson every single time.”
The greater adversity for Djokovic lay in the absence of his father, Srdjan, who chose to stay away for a second match in succession following the furore that broke out after he was captured on camera posing with supporters of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in midweek. Djokovic conceded after his uneven semi-final victory over Tommy Paul that the controversy had affected him, but the extent of his turmoil only became fully apparent when he dissolved into tears after clambering up to his box in the aftermath of victory.
It was a rare and fulsome display of emotion from the Serb, who embraced his mother Dijana and brother Djordje, along with Ivanisevic and the rest of his support team, before slumping to the floor on his back. With a towel covering his face, he remained overwhelmed long after returning to his courtside chair.
“When I went into my box, I just think emotionally I collapsed there,” said Djokovic. “[I] teared up, especially with my mother and my brother, when I gave them a hug, because up to that moment I was not allowing myself to be distracted with things off the court, or whatever was happening in dealing with an injury.
“That could easily have been a big disturbance to my focus, to my game. It required an enormous mental energy really to stay present, to stay focused, to take things day by day, and really see how far I can go.
“[It] was a huge relief and release of the emotions in the end.
“[My father and I] agreed it would probably be better that he is not there. That hurts me and him a lot, because these are very special, unique moments. Who knows if they repeat again.”
The ruthless efficiency with which Djokovic set about dismantling the challenge of the world’s third best player – a career-high ranking to which Tsitsipas will return on Monday – suggests repeats will be plentiful. He neutralised Tsitsipas’s serve, the bedrock of the Greek’s game, with the quality and consistency of his returns, while dominating behind his own delivery. He drew Tsitsipas into extended baseline exchanges, where he was able to exploit the relative weakness of his opponent’s backhand with his superior precision and depth, and made 20 fewer unforced errors. The strapping the Serb wore on his thigh earlier in the fortnight offered a rare reminder of his sporting mortality, but his performance against a man 11 years his junior spoke only of his enduring indomitability.
“I still have lots of motivation,” said Djokovic. “Let’s see how far it takes me. I really don’t want to stop here. I don’t have [any] intention to stop here. I feel great about my tennis. I know that when I’m feeling good physically, mentally present, I have a chance to win any slam against anybody.”
Roland Garros promises to be interesting.