USA TODAY International Edition
Djokovic wraps up eighth, Kenin first title Down Under
Serbian defeats Thiem in five- set match a day after American wins in three.
MELBOURNE, Australia – As Novak Djokovic conducted another in a long string of interviews after earning his record eighth Australian Open championship, runner- up Dominic Thiem was sliding into a white tournament courtesy van.
It was past 1: 30 a. m. local time, and Djokovic was toting his large silver winner’s cup everywhere while explaining how he edged Thiem 6- 4, 4- 6, 2- 6, 6- 3, 6- 4 Sunday for a 17th major title. Thiem was toting a much simpler runner- up tray in his left hand. Just another thing to lug home, along with his rackets, a mesh bag filled with shoes and plastic sleeve stuffed with sweaty clothes.
It is an all- too- familiar scene nowadays when a Grand Slam tournament wraps up: a member of the Big Three holding court and holding the biggest trophy; a younger man leaving the scene to plenty of praise but not the triumph he wanted. Increasingly, the guy with the hardware who’s the envy of all is Djokovic, more often than it is either of his rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Which is the point. Roger and Rafa need to watch out, because the guy whose nickname is Nole is gaining on them. Djokovic has won five of the past seven majors, a run that dates to Wimbledon in 2018. So as the tour departs from Australia, Federer leads the men’s list with 20 Slam trophies, one ahead of Nadal and, rather suddenly, just three more than Djokovic.
“Obviously, at this stage of my career, Grand Slams are the ones I value the most. They are the ones I prioritize,” said Djokovic, who defeated Federer in the Wimbledon final last year and the Australian Open semifinals last week. “Before the season starts, I try to set my form, shape, for these events, where I can be at my prime tennis, mental and physical abilities.”
Then he added: “I mean, of course, there’s a lot of history on the line.”
Everyone can decide on their own what should determine who the greatest in tennis history is. Or not – and just appreciate all three of these tremendously successful athletes.
Consider this: Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won the last 13 Grand Slam titles in a row. ( Compare that with the women’s game, where 11 women have divvied up that many majors in that same span; the most recent firsttime champ was 21- year- old American Sofia Kenin in Melbourne.)
Take it back to 2003, and the Big Three accounts for 56 of the last 67, too.
“These guys,” said Thiem, who’s now 0- 3 in major finals, all against Djokovic or Nadal, “brought tennis to a complete new level.”
For all of their great success – no one has won the French Open more than Nadal, with 12; no one has won Wimbledon more than Federer, with eight; no one has won the Australian Open more than Djokovic – here’s one tidbit that’s fascinating: Each man has one major site where he has been limited to one title.
For Nadal, it’s Melbourne Park. For Federer and Djokovic, Roland Garros.
Guess what the next stop is on the Grand Slam calendar?