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Novak Djokovic hails Australian Open triumph as ‘biggest win of my life’ as Serb wins record TENTH crown at Melbourne Park one year after being deported from Australia
An emotional Novak Djokovic hailed his 10th Australian Open title as the biggest win of his career at the end of the “toughest tournaments” he has played in.
The Serb equaled Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles after he won a record tenth crown at Melbourne Park by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in two hours and 56 minutes on Sunday. .
The win marks a remarkable change for Djokovic, who had his visa canceled 12 months ago and was deported from Australia just before the start of the tournament after a protracted legal battle over his Covid-19 vaccination status.
Novak Djokovic hailed his 10th Australian Open as the biggest win of his career
Meanwhile, this week, the 35-year-old had to repeatedly answer questions about his father, who was filmed with a man wearing a ‘Z’ T-shirt. [denoting support for Russian armed forces] and standing behind a banner with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘This has been one of the most difficult tournaments, given the circumstances. I didn’t play last year and I’ll be back this year,’ Djokovic said as he addressed fans at Rod Laver Arena after receiving the trophy.
‘I want to thank all the people who made me feel comfortable.
“There’s a reason I’ve been playing maybe better tennis here.”
Djokovic celebrated in style with his team and his family after beating Tsitsipas
Djokovic beat the Greek 6-3 7-6 7-6 in two hours and 56 minutes on Sunday in Melbourne
The 35-year-old said he hoped Tsitsipas would challenge for more Grand Slams in the future.
‘Only the team and the family know what we’ve been through. I would say this is the biggest victory of my life, considering the circumstances.’
Djokovic had wept uncontrollably as he celebrated wildly with his team and family in the stands and continued to sob as he returned to his chair.
The Serb had several exchanges of fire with his coach Goran Ivanisevic during the match, but afterwards he paid tribute to his team.
“What a ride it’s been for my family, my team and myself,” he said.
‘I appreciate the patience and love you are giving me. […] This trophy is as much yours as it is mine.
Djokovic beat Tsitsipas in the Roland Garros final two years ago and insisted his younger rival had a bright future ahead of him, despite coming up short in his quest to claim his first Grand Slam title.
‘This is definitely not your last Grand Slam. You have a lot of time, more than me, ”she said.
The Serb then had a message for young tennis players, urging them to ‘dream big’ and use him and Tsitsipas as examples, as they both rose to the top of the sport despite not hailing from tennis hotbed countries.
‘Us [Serbia and Greece] They are small countries that do not have a tennis tradition,” he said.
The message to any young tennis player around the world who dreams of being where Stefanos and I are: Dream big. It doesn’t matter where you come from.