NWith the racket in his left hand, Novak Djokovic walked in the direction of his workforce and his household. He stopped just a few meters away from the tribune and shouted his pleasure. Then he went as much as the roof to succeed in his family members. Half of the nationwide workforce, led by coach Goran Ivanisevic, welcomed the Serbs with open arms. Djokovic turned once more to scream all the strain.
Only after he fell into the arms of his youthful brother Marco did his temper change. In his mom’s arms, Djokovic fell to his knees and fell on his again in the center of the stands. The Australian Open winner cried so onerous you can hear her crying so onerous. It took him a couple of minute to settle down.
Around 15,000 spectators at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena witnessed sporting historical past after a 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 win over Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic’s tenth Australian Open title was his twenty second Grand Slam title, tied with file holder Rafael Nadal.
At the identical time, they skilled one of many greatest emotional shocks in tennis. The depth of the feelings jogged my memory of former basketball star Michael Jordan crying in the locker room after his fourth NBA title in 1996. It was Jordan’s first championship since his father’s assassination in 1993.
Fortunately, Djokovic’s scenario was not so dramatic, however two hours after his success, he defined how the victory had taken a toll on him. “Until the autumn, I did not enable myself to be distracted by issues off the courtroom. Dealing with accidents and issues outdoors of tennis can simply derail my focus and my recreation.”
The scandal surrounding Djokovic’s father
Novak Djokovic has needed to cope with the uncertainty of how he shall be obtained a yr after Australian tennis followers initially refused entry as a consequence of his lack of vaccination in opposition to the corona virus. After questioning the severity of his hip harm, he was vindicated by the media, saying he “did not even” prepare on non-game days.
Then got here the scandal Djokovic’s father brought on when he appeared in a video with Russian activists after his son’s quarter-final success. “It took a number of psychological power to be in the second and keep targeted,” Djokovic stated.
Tsitsipas felt on Sunday how effectively he did it regardless of all the things. Djokovic gave him just a few possibilities after which he was too passive. At 5:4 and 40:30 in the second set, he missed his solely serve and responded aggressively to Djokovic’s second serve at simply 128 kilometers per hour.
In the tie-break, the Greeks couldn’t reap the benefits of a slight weak spot and a double fault by the Serbs. After a good third set, Djokovic went up 5-0 in one other tiebreak inside minutes. Tsitsipas has not solely excelled on the pitch: “He pushes you to your limits: I do not see that as a curse. We all beat our butts, it is a good lesson,” he stated.
Djokovic (35) and Nadal (36) have gained 16 of the final 19 Grand Slams. No participant born after 1987 has but gained the boys’s occasion in Melbourne, Paris and Wimbledon. It stays an enormous query that the 2 giants of this sport are nonetheless in a position to surpass not solely their opponents who’re ten years youthful, but in addition bodily on the age of superior athletes.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev stays the one participant of the following technology to have gained each Grand Slam finals. In 2021, Russia’s Djokovic gained all 4 titles in one season in New York. “Big titles stay the largest motivation,” stated Djokovic, however he would not wish to evaluate himself to others. In 2023, well being rules in the U.S. nonetheless forestall Djokovic from the complete dominance potential.
In the United States, individuals who haven’t been vaccinated in opposition to the corona virus are nonetheless prohibited from getting into the nation. “But I’m hoping for some excellent news in the following few weeks,” Djokovic defined. First of all, he meant to take part in the Masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in March.
.