Djokovic defeated Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to win his 22nd Grand Slam title to equal Rafael Nadal’s all-time record.
Novak Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open championship and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title overall by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final at Rod Laver Arena.
The Serbian star dropped just one set all tournament, despite saying he feared a left hamstring problem might force him to withdraw, and finished with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7- 6 (5) win over first-time Australian Open finalist Tsitsipas on Sunday.
As a result of winning the first Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic also regained the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
The 35-year-old missed out on the Australian Open a year ago after being deported from the country for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Government restrictions have since eased, and he was able to get a visa this time, despite still not being vaccinated against COVID.
“I have to say it was the most challenging tournament I’ve played in my life … didn’t play last year, and come back this year,” Djokovic said after the match. “Only the team and the family know what we have been through in the last four or five weeks.”
Now Djokovic has extended his winning streak at the hard court tournament to 28 matches.
His 10th trophy in Australia adds to the record he already held. His 22 major championships – which include seven from Wimbledon, three from the US Open and two from the French Open – are tied with Rafael Nadal for the most by a man in the history of tennis.
With sizeable Greek and Serbian communities in Melbourne, and Rod Laver in attendance, there was a heated atmosphere.
Djokovic came into the match with the confidence of having won all nine of his previous Australian Open finals and with a 10-2 career advantage over the Greek.
He was consistently excellent against Tsitsipas, but especially in the two tiebreakers.
Djokovic took a 4-1 lead in the first and after it was 4-all, drew the last three points. He led 5-0 in the closing tiebreaker and when it was over he pointed to his temples, then climbed into the stands, pumped his fist and jumped with his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and other members of the entourage before he collapsed crying.
“This trophy is yours as much as it is mine.”@DjokerNole gives credit to his team.#AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/LAA7MlKrT3
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2023
Djokovic returned to the court, sat down on his sideline bench, buried his face in a white towel and shed a few more tears.
Margaret Court, with 24, Serena Williams, with 23, and Steffi Graf, with 22, have the most championships among women.
It was also the 93rd ATP tour-level title for Djokovic, enabling him to break a tie with Nadal for the fourth most. Jimmy Connors holds that mark, at 109.
Djokovic was competing in his 33rd major final, Tsitsipas in his second – the 24-year-old’s other also ended in defeat to Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.
