Djokovic takes 10th Australian Open title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic swept to a 10th Australian Open title and 22nd grand slam to equal Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time standings on Sunday.
A year after seeing Nadal pull ahead while he tried to process the fall-out from his Australian deportation for not being vaccinated against coronavirus, Djokovic has been determined to show that Rod Laver Arena is his stage.
He dropped just one set all tournament despite saying he feared a left hamstring problem might force him to withdraw and finished with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over first-time Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Djokovic also reclaims the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz, and it would be very difficult to argue that he does not justify that position having once again put the younger generations in their place.
His status in Australia, meanwhile, is unmatched, with the 35-year-old winning a 28th consecutive Australian Open match and a 41st in a row in the country as a whole.
There are large Greek and Serbian communities in Melbourne, and the atmosphere was reminiscent of a football match, with fans decked in their country’s colours and umpire Louise Azemar Engzell constantly appealing for quiet during points.
Both men received raucous welcomes, but the reception for Djokovic was just a little bit louder, and his fans soon had plenty to cheer.
For the first time all tournament, there was no heavy strapping on his left thigh, although a couple of strips of tape were a reminder that Djokovic had cruised through to the final while not 100% fit.
If the 35-year-old has been vulnerable in slam finals over the past couple of years, it has tended to be early on, with Djokovic losing the first set on four consecutive occasions, including against Tsitsipas in the Greek’s only previous final at the French Open in 2021.
Aryna Sabalenka rallies to beat Elena Rybakina in women’s final
Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to defeat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and claim her first Grand Slam title in a terrific Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday.
In a battle of two of the biggest hitters in the women’s game, Belarusian Sabalenka seized the initiative after dropping the opening set to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and became the first singles player to win a major under a neutral flag.
The 24-year-old could not bring herself to watch Kazakh Rybakina claim the title at the All England Club, so disappointed was she at being banned from competing because of Belarus’ role in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But Sabalenka, fueled by a remodeled serve and a commitment to keeping her emotions in check, has been a woman on a mission all tournament.
One sloppy service game cost her the opening set, but Sabalenka did not lose belief or take a step back and Rybakina could not resist the powerful hitting of her opponent.
The final game was full of tension, but Sabalenka made it across the line on her fourth opportunity before falling to the court in delight.
Remarkably, this was the seventh successive Grand Slam match she has won having lost the opening set.
There were a disappointing number of empty seats on Laver for the match, a far cry from 12 months ago, when Ashleigh Barty gave Australia a long-awaited home champion.