Australian Open men’s final 2023: Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 10th Melbourne Park title
Often viewed as robotic, Novak Djokovic’s raw emotion provided a stunning insight into how deeply he has been impacted by the events of the past year.
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Overcome with emotion, Novak Djokovic has declared his record-breaking 10th Australian Open win as the greatest moment of his incredible career.
That is some statement from the Serbian superstar because he’s now won 22 grand slam titles to match Rafael Nadal’s all-time record for men and regained the world No. 1 ranking.
Djokovic has won so many major tournaments during his incredible career that he rarely lets his emotions get the better of him, but he couldn’t help himself this time.
Immediately after his 6-3 7-6 7-6 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s men’s singles final, Djokovic broke down and sobbed as he was being embraced by his family and friends at Rod Laver Arena.
Often viewed as robotic, Djokovic’s raw emotion provided a stunning insight into how deeply he has been impacted by the events of the past year – including his deportation from Australia 12 months ago, doubts about his injured hamstring and the absence of his father Srdjan from Sunday’s final after he was photographed with supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“I have to say this has been one of the most challenging tournaments I have ever played in my life considering the circumstances, not playing last year, coming back this year,” Djokovic said during his acceptance speech.
“I want to thank all the people who made me feel welcome, made me feel comfortable to be in Melbourne and to be in Australia. There is a reason why I have played my best tennis throughout my career in this arena.
“I try to pinch myself and really live through these moments. It’s a long journey. Only the team and the family knows what we have been through in the last four or five weeks.
“I would say this is probably the biggest victory of my life, considering those circumstances.”
Later, he told Channel 9, how relieved he felt at winning the title after everything he endured.
“Considering the circumstances that my team and I had to go through and endure the last two or three weeks, I would say, this ranks right up there. I felt a huge burden off my back,” he said.
“You don’t plan these things. Of course you try to be in the moment. Only they know what we’ve been through so it was a huge relief. A huge release as well.”
Although his match against Tsitsipas was not so much a contest as a coronation, Djokovic also paid a glowing to his Greek opponent during his victory speech, saying he hoped his success in reaching the decider would inspire children from smaller countries to never give up on their goals.
“I think the message for any young tennis player around the world watching this now, dreaming to be where we are now, dream big. Anything is possible. Don’t let anyone take away the dream,” Djokovic said.
“It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. I think the more disadvantaged a childhood you have, the stronger you become and we are the proof of that. Don’t let anybody take that dream away from you.
“Water it like you would water the flowers. Even if you can only find one person in the world that supports you, dream big and you can make it.”
Tsitsipas, playing in his first Australian Open final, returned the compliment, saying Djokovic’s achievements – and the standards he was setting – were an inspiration to every other player on the professional tour,
“I admire what you’ve done for our sport and I think you make me a better player when we are on court,” Tsitsipas said.
“I have had the privilege to play a lot of difficult and high intensity matches but I would like to say one more time Novak brings out the best in me. He’s one of the greatest in our sport and he’s the greatest that has ever held a tennis racquet for sure.
“I’d like to thank you for pushing our sport so far. I think it deserves a player like you who pushes every single player that’s involved in the sport to the max.”
‘I DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE’: TSITSAPAS
Scott Gullan
Stefanos Tsitsapas says he’s not cursed by Novak Djokovic despite another grand slam final loss at the hands of the world No.1.
The Greek star described the heart-breaking 6-2 7-6 7-6 loss at Rod Laver Arena as “step forward” in his career as he strives to win his first major title.
“There’s nothing that I could have extracted more for today. I did everything possible,” Tsitsapas said.
“You know, Novak is a player that pushes you to your limits. 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 who want to get to his point one day. Getting our asses kicked is for sure a very good lesson every single time.
“He has made me a much better player. He has made my levels of concentration higher and higher every single time I get to play him. You have to be really involved and you have to be dedicated to the game when you play against him.
“I find it a very important part of my career, to have a player like him that will help me grow better and do bigger things, speaking for my game.”
Tsitsapas, 24, lost his first appearance in a grand slam final at the 2021 French Open where he led by two sets before being overcome by Djokovic.
He praised the Serbian superstar for winning his record-equalling 22nd grand slam on Sunday night.
“The numbers speak for themselves. It’s 22, isn’t it?,” Tsitsapas said. “We have other great champions, too, like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer also, in my opinion, one of the best our sport has ever seen. But not only our sport, sports in general.
“I think we’re blessed that we have three big champions like this. I don’t want to give the whole title to him (Djokovic), because I believe there are other players that have contributed a lot, and they’re the main reason I am here today as well.
“Novak is one of them, too. I’ve been watching him as a kid, as well. I really liked the way he did things on the court with his game.
“But, yeah, I definitely meant it. He has earned it with so much dedication that he has put in, with so much professionalism in his everyday life. It’s a wake-up call for me to sort of do the same. I can only learn from that. I can only use that for my benefit. I’m blessed that I get the opportunity to do that.”
10:32PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6 6-6
Here we go again!
It’s the second tie-break of the match.
Tsitsipas made five unforced errors in that second set tie-break.
Can he put that to the back of his mind now?
10:26PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6 6-5*
Here we go, it doesn’t get any bigger than this.
Djokovic is four points away from the title. He will get a chance to break Tsitsipas here.
If he can’t, the match will go to a tie-break. And if it feels like Djokovic should be the favourite in that, there is a good reason. He has won 17 straight points on his serve. Wow!!
10:12PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6 4-3*
Once again, we’ve hit the business end of a set and the next 15 minutes are going to tell a big story.
Djokovic is eight points away from the match and you know he is thinking about breaking in this next game.
Can Tsitsipas continue to draw out the match? All eyes are on his serve and forehand to see how they will go under more intense pressure.
9:52PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6 *1-1
Look up gut punch in the dictionary and there should be a picture of that last game.
After finally breaking, Tsitsipas gives it straight back. Ouch!
Tsitsipas lead 30-love too. He is fuming!
9:46PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6 0-1*
Ok who can honestly say they saw that coming?
In the opening game of the third set, Tsitsipas breaks Djokovic out of nowhere.
He’d had a few chances late in that second set and may have been due to take one.
It’s a great sign that he was able to recover from the disappointment of that second set so quickly.
9:32PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 7-6
What a crazy tie-break that was, with both players left seething over basic errors.
First it was Tsitsipas who played loose, failing to win a point on each of his first three serves to hand Djokovic a 4-1 lead.
But then, in scenes that are almost impossible to believe, Djokovic followed that up with a horror backhand error and a double fault.
The thing about Novak is though, he only gives you so many chances.
Even with the mid-tie-break speed bump, he still gathers himself to come out on top.
It’s a long, long, long, long, long way back for Tsitsipas now.
9:23PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 6-6
The only fair way to settle this set is with a tie break. Tsitsipas will serve first. It is vital he stays in front for as long as possible.
9:15PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 *5-6 (Set point saved)
Huge! Simply incredible stuff from Novak Djokovic. He faces his first break point and it doubles as a set point as Rod Laver Arena goes wild for Tsitsipas.
But getting to break point is one thing … winning it is something else.
Djokovic comes out on top in a 15 shot rally to save it before going on to hold.
And he isn’t happy with the crowd either.
The crowd reacted to some balls coming very close to the lines and Djokovic asked the umpire to step in and tell them to be quiet.
9:01PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 *4-5
That man doesn’t have 21 slams for nothing. And that’s how hard it is to break him when the heat is at its hottest.
Once again Tsitsipas had a small opening to get himself on the high side of the ledger but crucial mistakes at key points proved costly.
It’s a tough position for the Greek because he can’t win by playing safe. But he can’t win if he makes cheap errors. What is the balance?
The only option is to be better than one of the best to ever do it.
8:57PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 *3-4
If Tsitsipas is going to go down, he is going to do it by bringing the fire.
He just dug in to secure a vital hold and keep his nose in front at 4-3.
But keep an eye on Novak’s body language here. He was filthy after a couple of missed chances in that game.
He then spent the change of ends talking to his player box.
Will this bring out the best in the Serb or is he rattled?
A scary moment for Novak! 😳 Luckily he looks to be okay. ðŸ™
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 29, 2023
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8:45PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 3-3*
We are getting close to the business end of the set now.
The next 15-20 minutes will likely decide the Australian Open final.
It is almost impossible to see Tsitsipas coming back from two sets down.
But Novak isn’t going to give it to him. The Greek star is going to have to step up and take it.
Does he have a run of winners in him?
8:37PM – DJOKOVIC V TSITSIPAS 6-3 2-2*
The first mini-chance comes and goes for Stefanos Tsitsipas.
And while it might sound weird to focus on such a small opening, that’s all Novak Djokovic gives.
It came with Tsitsipas leading 15-30 on the Djokovic serve. This was the first moment of the match he had the Serb in any way on the back foot.
But Tsitsipas was unable to make a small opening a big one. Through a combination of Tsitsipas errors and Djokovic power, the No. 4 seed rattled off the next three points to hold.
8:29PM – BIGGEST ISSUES CALLED OUT AFTER DROPPING FIRST SET
It’s not just the serve that is an issue for Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Lleyton Hewitt has also identified the forehand and movement as two other big issues.
“He (Tsitsipas) just looks out of position on the forehand side,” he said.
“He looks a little bit sluggish moving around on the court at the moment.
“Whether his legs are slightly heavy, possibly nerves coming out here as well.
“We have seen him so explosive, especially to that forehand side throughout this tournament. He has played some of his very best tennis (but) he’s slightly off at the moment.”
8:14PM – ‘THIS IS MY HOUSE’: NOVAK ON FIRE WITH BREAK IN HAND
Stefanos Tsitsipas has had three service games.
In the first he was forced to save two break points before holding.
In the second he was broken to find himself behind 4-1.
In the third he was down 15-30 before holding.
Were there warning signs throughout the tournament that the Tsitsipas serve was ready to crack?
Highly respected tennis coach Roger Rasheed thinks so.
“The biggest issue for me was that Tsitspas has saved the most BP of the event” he posted on Twitter.
“Some would see that as a good stat – that bothers me as it means your service games are getting challenged way too much. And against Novak, it’s not a good stat.”
In commentary for Channel 9, Jim Courier said: “This whole opening set has basically been a statement of, ‘this is my house’ from Novak.”
8:03PM – DJOKOVIC STRIKES FIRST WITH OPENING BREAK
There is something missing from Novak Djokovic’s body tonight.
All tournament his hamstring has been covered in strapping as he battled his way through the injury clouds.
However, tonight there is only a tiny amount of tape.
Is this a sign that he is better? Or is he trying to play mind games with Tsitsipas?
Either way, it has worked early. Djokovic is the first man to secure a break, with Tsitsipas delivering it on a platter with a double fault.
That’s the last thing the Greek wanted.
TENNIS AUS SLAMMED FOR ‘DISAPPOINTING’ NOVAK DAD CALL
Tennis Australia’s decision to allow Novak Djokovic’s father to attend tonight’s Australian Open final has been condemned by Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, labelling it as “disappointing”.
The governing body on Sunday ruled that Srdjan Djokovic would not be denied entry into Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open final, just days after he posed for photos with pro-Putin supporters outside Melbourne Park.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko told the Herald Sun he thought the decision was “disappointing” and that Srdjan Djokovic’s apology was not “genuine”.
“It’s just disappointing, to be frank … I think we’ve been clear, the Ukrainian community has been pretty clear about that,” he said.
“Djokovic is trying to make us feel (like) he was just misrepresented and it was just a mistake.
“It was pretty clear on video … there were people who planned that from the very beginning.
“The right decision would be for them would be to apologise, the apology was not really clear.”
Despite being allowed, it remains unclear if Srdjan will actually come to the match.
With players out on court warming up Djokovic’s mother Dijana has taken her seat on Rod Laver Arena.
However, Srdjan is not yet in the building.
AUS OPEN BOSS PASSES BUCK TO DJOKOVIC’S DAD
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley says Novak’s Djokovic’s father is free to attend the men’s final.
Having skipped the semis after a global furore over being photographed with a man holding a Russian flag and bearing a T-shirt in support of Putin, Srdjan’s attendance had been under a cloud of doubt.
It seems the decision will be made by the Djokovic camp.
“It’s his decision. We’re going to let it be his decision and ultimately he’s got to make the call,” Tiley said.
“He didn’t breach any event policy. That’s really important because what’s been written about what he (allegedly) said hasn’t been correct and I think people are backtracking from that.
“That’s unfortunate that massive assumptions were made.”
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