A tearful After defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to earn his record-extending 10th championship in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic characterized his Australian Open victory as the most significant and difficult of his career.
“Only my team and my family are aware of what we’ve been through over the previous four or five weeks,” Djokovic stated. Considering the circumstances, this is perhaps the greatest victory of my life.
The 35-year-old returned a year after being deported from Australia for attempting to enter the country without a Covid vaccine exemption and winning this championship. Despite suffering from a hamstring injury at the tournament’s beginning, Djokovic lost just one set in seven matches. After the championship match, Djokovic wept while embracing his staff in his player box.
“When I entered my box, I just immediately fell and began to cry. Particularly when I hugged my mother and brother. Because up until that point, I was not allowing myself to be distracted by matters off the court or whatever was going on with my injury; things that might have easily caused a significant disruption to my concentration and performance.”
Djokovic’s 22 grand slam titles tie him with Rafael Nadal as the men’s record holder for grand slam titles. He replaces US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 for the first time since June.
Tearful Novak Djokovic celebrates “greatest victory”
While Djokovic acknowledged that the scrutiny and skepticism surrounding his hamstring injury impacted him during the event, his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, believes that most players would not have competed with such an injury.
Ivanisevic stated, “97% of the players, upon receiving MRI results on Saturday, immediately withdraw from the competition at the referee’s office. But not him. He is not from Earth. His brain functions differently.”
Djokovic’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, did not return to see his son play tennis after Djokovic and his staff determined that the media attention around Srdjan’s photo with pro-Vladimir Putin crowds had not sufficiently subsided.
Srdjan Djokovic was still present, and he embraced his son outside the player locker room after the match. However, Djokovic stated that his father was disappointed that he could not watch.
“In a way, I regret that he was not present, in the stands. However, he was throughout the entire competition, so it is acceptable. “Our story has a nice ending,” stated Djokovic.
