Djokovic’s 18th major title no contest
Serb 90 in finals in Melbourne, overcomes injury to rout Medvedev
MELBOURNE, Australia — Maybe, just maybe, Novak Djokovic would be just a tad more susceptible to trouble this time around at the Australian Open.
He tore an abdominal muscle in the third round and wasn’t sure he could continue to compete. Entering Sunday, Djokovic ceded five sets in the tournament, the most he ever dropped en route to a major final. And to top it all off, he was facing Daniil Medvedev, owner of a 20match winning streak.
Yeah, right. We’re talking about Djokovic at Melbourne Park, where his dominance is most certainly intact — nine finals, nine championships. Plus, he’s still gaining on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, now up to 18, two shy of the men’s record those rivals share.
Djokovic used improved serving, along with his usual relentless returning and baseline excellence to grab 11 of 13 games in one stretch and beat Medvedev 75, 62, 62 for a third consecutive Australian Open trophy.
“Definitely, emotionally, the most challenging Grand Slam that I ever had, with everything that was happening — injury, offthecourt stuff, quarantines,” Djokovic said. “A rollercoaster ride.”
When the match ended after less than two hours, Djokovic went to the sideline, lifted his white shirt and peeled pieces of beige athletic tape from his stomach.
“I was quite worried,” Djokovic said about the injury. “I did not (think) realistically that I could actually play. I didn’t know until two hours before the fourthround match.”
Dealing with what he called “bearable” pain, Djokovic improved to 180 in semifinals and finals on Melbourne’s hard courts.
“Probably, it’s not your last one,” Medvedev said. “I have no words to say.”
Djokovic, 33, has won six of the past 10 majors and will stay at No. 1 in the rankings at least through March 8. That will give him 311 weeks there, breaking another mark held by Federer.
His goals now are squarely on Grand Slams.
Put Djokovic’s nine triumphs in Australia alongside five at Wimbledon, three at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. The math looks good for him: He is about a year younger than Nadal and 61⁄2 younger than Federer.
“I do enjoy the success every single time even more,” Djokovic said, “because I know that the longer the time passes, the more difficult it’s going to become.”
The fourthseeded Medvedev was appearing in his second Slam final; he was the runnerup to Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open.
The 25yearold from Russia had won 12 in a row against Top10 opponents, but trying to solve Djokovic in Australia is a unique challenge.
“He’s really good (at) reading an opponent’s game,” Medvedev said, “knowing what you will do next, how to beat you.”
Medvedev’s flat, wrap-the-racket-around-his-neck forehand was iffy at first, missing wide, long and into the net. Djokovic grabbed 13 of the match’s initial 16 points and a quick 30 lead. Soon enough, though, it was 3all, then 5all.
But that’s when Djokovic stepped up, and Medvedev stepped back. Djokovic held at love, then broke to claim the set when Medvedev slapped a forehand into the net just after someone in the crowd called out during the point.
Djokovic began the second set with a fault into the net. That point ended with him missing a backhand into the net, and he glared at his guest box. Another netted backhand gifted Medvedev a break.
But the extreme experience gap showed there. Medvedev immediately relinquished his next two service games. Setting the tone to open the third set, Medvedev failed to convert two break points and then was broken. In all, Djokovic broke seven times and made 17 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 30.
“Masterpiece,” said Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion who is one of Djokovic’s coaches.