Novak Djokovic Scores the Perfect Ten at Aussie Open
Australian Open
January 29, 2023
Novak Djokovic milked the applause, looked to the heavens and scaled a wall to be with his team. He realised he had climbed back to the top of the world – and suddenly collapsed in tears.
Not just gentle tears of joy. He sobbed his heart out with the sheer relief of it all, remembering the pain of being excluded last year.
Novak was never going to be denied Down Under this time, was he? His sense of destiny is simply too strong.
Djokovic said: ‘Dream big. Dare to dream because anything is possible. Don’t let anyone take away the dream. Nurture it like you water flowers. You can make it.
‘This has been one of the most challenging tournaments I’ve ever played in my life. Not playing last year. Coming back this year. This is the biggest victory of my life under the circumstances.’
To become the undisputed greatest tennis player of all time is what Djokovic craves this year. He fought for it in Australia. It looks as though he will make that dream become reality at Wimbledon 2023.
In winning his tenth Australian Open title 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) Djokovic draws level with Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slams.
Novak Djokovic will feel history is calling him at Wimbledon 2023.
Either he will have the opportunity to edge ahead of Nadal at the All England Club and seize his 23rd major. Or else he will have secured that already at Roland Garros, and so he will try to use Wimbledon 2023 to go ahead of the wonderful Serena Williams.
The greatest man or woman in the Open era!
Whichever way you look at it, Wimbledon 2023 will give Novak Djokovic the stage to create a level of history that will surely never be repeated.
What can we say about Stefanos Tsitsipas? There were times when he unsettled his opponent. And that is quite an accomplishment in itself.
Tsitsipas had set point in the second and battled for parity in a stunning fifteen-point rally. He lost. And that was effectively that.
The tie-break that could have seen him draw level anyway simply slipped away, thanks to his own unforced errors.
The young Greek broke first in the third. But then Djokovic was able to stay cool and break straight back. When it came to the killer breaker, Tsitsipas came back from 0-5 to 5-6. It was too little, too late.
Djokovic was king. The crown was always rightfully his.
We can talk about technique. And the technique of the flamboyant Stefanos Tsitsipas creates huge, looping, one-handed shots on both sides. The danger with that is a much greater margin for error.
Novak, on the other hand, is more compact, balanced and perfectly poised. He plays the percentages and wears you down with his flexibility.
But for all the technical tennis talk, what really makes Djokovic a winner is mental strength. He meets every challenge either with serenity or fury, it doesn’t matter. He finds the answer.
Tsistipas doesn’t even play in the same psychological league. He is wonderful to watch, but you need very special equipment upstairs too. He will have to work on that.
Stefanos said: ‘It’s all in the numbers Novak, congratulations. You make me a better player. You’re the greatest who has ever held a tennis racquet.’
He’s not wrong. Today is all about a celebration of the incomparable Djokovic.
More than that, it’s an early celebration of what is to come this summer.
Novak Djokovic will enjoy his date with history at Wimbledon 2023.
To become the greatest player tennis has ever seen or will ever see. That’s the destiny that could very well await the Serb on the perfect grass of the All England Club.
Events in Australia have set that date up very nicely indeed for the champion.
Will you be at Wimbledon 2023? The greatest and most historic major of them all?