Australian Open 2023 Novak Djokovic Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 10th title in Melbourne

By defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the championship match at Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic has captured his 10th Australian Open title and a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam trophy.

The Serbian star defeated first-time Australian Open contender Tsitsipas on Sunday with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (4), and 7-6 (5) despite having dropped one set throughout the competition due to a left hamstring injury he had expressed concern about.

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Djokovic reclaimed the top spot in the world from Carlos Alcaraz due to conquering the first Grand Slam of the year.

The 35-year-old was barred from playing in Australian Open a year ago after being evicted from the nation for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination.

Since then, governmental limitations have been loosened, and even though he has yet to have a COVID vaccination, he was able to obtain a visa this time.

After the match, Djokovic stated, “I have to say this has been the most difficult tournament I have ever played… not playing last year, coming back this year. “Only the team and the family are aware of our difficulties over the past four or five weeks.”

Djokovic now has a 28-match winning streak in the hard-court competition.

His tenth trophy in Australia adds to his previous record. His 22 major titles, which include seven Wimbledon titles, three US Open titles, and two French Open titles, tie Rafael Nadal for the most by a player in tennis history.

There was a boisterous mood because Melbourne has sizable Greek and Serbian communities. Rod Laver was also present.

Having triumphed in his previous nine Australian Open final matches and holding a 10-2 career advantage over the Greek, Djokovic entered the game with high confidence.

Against Tsitsipas, he consistently outperformed him, particularly in the two tiebreakers in particular.

Following a 4-all tie, Djokovic won the final three games to take a 4-1 lead in the opening set. With a 5-0 lead in the decisive tiebreaker, he pointed to his temple after it was over and climbed into the stands, pumping his fist and jumping together with his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and other guests of the entourage before collapsing in tears.

Returning to the court, Djokovic slumped on his side bench, buried his face in a white towel, and sobbed again.

The women with the most championships are Steffi Graf with 22, Serena Williams with 23, and Margaret Court with 24.

Djokovic also broke a tie with Nadal for the fourth-most ATP tour-level titles with this triumph, which was his 93rd. At 109, Jimmy Connors now owns the record.

Djokovic competed in his 33rd major final, while Tsitsipas was in his second. The 24-year-first old’s major final, which took place at the 2021 French Open, also saw Djokovic defeat Tsitsipas.