“I play to be the best tennis player of all time. It's what motivates me." This is what he declared before the Australian Open Novak Djokovic. Ambition and talent abound. The Serbian, with his title this Sunday in Melbourne, after beating the Greek Stéfanos Tsitsipás 6-3, 7-6(4) and 7-6(5) in two hours and 56 minutes, took his 22nd Grand Prix trophy Slam, with which he ties Rafa Nadal at the head of the historical classification, leaving the retired Roger Federer behind, with 20 greats.
If the Spaniard has turned Roland Garros into his promised land (14 victories in 14 finals), Djokovic has made Australia his backyard. His tenth title in ten finals there attests to this. He has become a rival crusher. Murray four times, Nadal twice, Tsonga, Thiem, Medvedev and Tsitsipás have bitten the dust before the Balkan whirlwind. In Melbourne Park he debuted with his first Grand Slam title, in the now distant 2008. After several years in the elite demonstrating his talent but also a certain instability Djokovic uncorked the jar of essences in Australia and 15 years later continues to distribute mastery .
Because beyond the controversies, his refusal to get vaccinated and a somewhat petulant character with rivals and with spectators, Djokovic's tennis is indisputable. His game and his physique are very complete and, when he is at his maximum, he has almost no cracks. He hits like the most and defends himself like a titan. He can demonstrate it in all fields, although it is in Australia and in the Wimbledon garden, where he has won up to seven times, where Nole has shone with more splendor. Where it has cost him the most has been at Roland Garros (two titles), due to the tyranny of Nadal, while it is a bit surprising that in New York, on a track that suits his characteristics, he "only" has triumphed three times. In Flushing Meadows he has starred in magnificent duels with Nadal, which has deprived him of two more titles on the concrete of Arthur Ashe. The one between the Majorcan and the Serbian is the most repeated rivalry in the history of tennis and, by the way, with his victory this Sunday Djokovic manages to lead Nadal in titles on the ATP circuit (93 to 92).
Djokovic has played 33 Grand Slam finals, 31 for Federer and 30 for Nadal. He has faced twelve different players in these matches and he has been able to beat all but one of them on some occasion in the decisive match of a Grand Slam. The only one with whom he could not was with the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, who defeated him in a final at Roland Garros and in another at the United States Open. Nadal has not yet said the last word about him but now the situation favors Djokovic.
If at the beginning of 2022 the man from Manacor picked up a run in Australia and then packed more at Roland Garros, now Nole starts the season as it ended last year, unapproachable. What would have happened if he had been vaccinated and could have played in Melbourne and New York in 2022? Well, you will never know. But Djokovic came back like a cyclone.
