Novak Djokovic Wins 2023 Australian Open Title

 

Novak Djokovic continues to make history on the tennis court after winning his record 10th Australian Open. Djokovic is now tied with Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slams in tennis history with 22. Djokovic won this Title with relative ease considering he only dropped 1 set in 7 matches. Djokovic was also dealing with a left leg hamstring injury that he was able to play through. The injury clearly hampered his play at some points during his matches and he stated if it wasn’t a Grand Slam that he would’ve pulled out. 

This Title meant so much to him that the emotion poured out of him after winning the final point. The difficulties that he had to overcome within his own body and from his opponents is something that was truly remarkable to witness. There are always a few points that Djokovic wins during matches that he has no business winning. He wins those points because of his dexterity, flexibility, ability to return difficult balls and an undying will to win. Djokovic is the best defensive player ever with an underrated serve, an all court game and excellent fundamentals that allow him to stay in points and put pressure on his opponents. Djokovic is a killer on the court that suffocates his opponents with a beautiful mix of offensive and defensive tennis. This younger generation of stars are beginning to establish themselves as top players, but Djokovic remains the standard that the other players measure themselves against. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Dtsx-6aDc

His contemporaries like Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro have either retired or struggle to play at a high level consistently. Nadal has had a tough time on the court since winning the French Open for his 22nd Grand Slam win. Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon due to injury after reaching the semifinals, then lost to Frances Tiafoe in the Round of 16 at the US Open. During the Nitto ATP Finals, Nadal lost 2 matches and won 1 match against Casper Ruud. Before the Australian Open, Nadal lost 2 matches in the United Cup. Nadal then lost his second match in the Australian Open to Mackenzie McDonald in a huge upset. 

Nadal injured his left hip flexor during the McDonald match, but continued playing on basically one leg. It was a sad sight to see this great athlete playing injured. Nadal has a very taxing and forceful style of play that puts a lot of stress on his body because he plays every point like its his last. This makes Nadal a tremendous fighter that keeps competing no matter the odds. Nadal’s body keeps breaking down and this latest injury is another setback for the 36 year old who could be playing his final tennis season this year. Djokovic is 35, but his body is in a much better shape than Nadal.

Djokovic’s style isn’t as hard on the body because he has a slighter frame which allows him to glide through the court with more grace and fluidity. Djokovic also knows how to pace himself during matches and not always go full throttle which is how Nadal always plays. Hopefully these two legends will be healthy enough to compete at the highest level come the French Open. Nadal, the King of Clay has won 14 French Opens and Djokovic has won the French Open twice. 

One of the reasons that Djokovic has remained at the top of the sport for so long is because of how well he takes care of his body and how he recovers after matches. In order to manage his hamstring injury he didn’t practice on off days so he could maximize his recovery time. Early in his career after struggling with respiratory issues he switched to a plant based diet and the benefits have allowed him to play at a high level for over a decade. Djokovic also does extensive stretching and different warmups in order to prevent injury and keep him limber on the court. He is so strict about what he puts into his body that he wasn’t even willing to take the COVID vaccine. Because of his stance he wasn’t allowed to play in last year’s Australian Open and the US Open. 

Djokovic did win Wimbledon, but no Russian players were allowed to play and no ranking points were earned from that victory. This latest Title meant so much to Djokovic, because he missed out on last year’s tournament. Historically it has been his best tournament with 10 Australian Open Titles, more than any other player. Djokovic has been playing at a high level since easily winning the Nitto ATP Finals to finish off last year’s tennis season. 

In preparation for the Australian Open, Djokovic won a warmup tournament in Adelaide after beating Sebastian Korda in the Final. Korda carried over that stellar play into the Australian Open where he reached the Quarterfinals, but unfortunately had to retire due to a wrist injury. Djokovic beat two top 5 players in Andrey Rublev (5) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) en route to the Title. Djokovic has now returned to the number 1 ranking which is pretty incredible considering he missed out on two Grand Slams and the ranking points from his Wimbledon Title didn’t count. This shows his mental fortitude, his love for tennis and his ability to compete at the highest level. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas played well in the Final losing 6-3, 7-6, 7-6. It was a competitive 3 set match, but Djokovic made less errors in the tiebreaks and knew how to play the big points better because of his experience and coolness under pressure. Tsitsipas has an excellent serve, a great forehand and a suspect backhand. Djokovic wasn’t intimidated at all going right after his forehand and returning serves that only he could keep in play. Tsitsipas still kept his nerve and played exceptionally in defeat utilizing a strong baseline game and powerful ground strokes to pressure Djokovic and tire him out. 

However, Djokovic’s shot tolerance is second to none and he seems to play better in the most crucial moments of the match. Tsitsipas came into the Australian Open playing excellent tennis winning all 4 of his United Cup ATP matches while playing for Greece. He seems to have come into this year with a different mentality that has already proven successful with great results thus far. His post match speech really showed his character when he gave his praise to Djokovic knowing he lost to true greatness that is rarely seen in sports. Tsitsipas stated post match that “I have had the privilege to play a lot of high intensity games but these are the matches I have been working my entire life for. He’s one of the greatest in our sport. He’s the greatest who ever held a tennis racket.” 

Tsitsipas is a fan favorite because of his exciting style of play, but also because of his life philosophy which is to give 110%, to have fun on the court and know that you’re playing for more than just yourself. Djokovic’s life philosophy is more singularly focused on winning and doing everything he can to get his body ready for battle. After the match, Djokovic stated that “Only the team and family knows what we have been through in the last four or five weeks. This is probably, I would say — the biggest victory in my life, considering the circumstances.” Nothing great in life comes easy and Djokovic proved that one again after defeating Tsitsipas. Djokovic should have a great 2023 and continue to win huge matches.