Novak Djokovic has claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles crown with a near-perfect 10-out-of-10 Australian Open final triumph over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Djokovic preserved his aura of invincibility on Rod Laver Arena to see off Tsitsipas 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) in a briefly competitive but ultimately anticlimactic championship decider on Sunday night.
The straight-sets but not always stress-free victory drew Djokovic level with Rafael Nadal on the men’s all-time grand slam titles leaderboard and secured the tennis super-Novak a record-extending 10th trophy at Melbourne Park.
The 35-year-old joins 14-times French Open champion Nadal as only the second man to win the same slam on at least 10 occasions.
Unbeaten – still – in finals on RLA and without a defeat in 41 matches in Australia since 2018, Djokovic did not need his father’s courtside support to take another giant stride towards sporting immortality.
Djokovic also beat Tsitsipas in the 2021 French Open decider.
In addition to the spoils, records and the $2.975 million winner’s cheque, Djokovic will also return to world No.1 on Monday, for a seventh stint atop the rankings, after once again denying Tsitsipas an elusive maiden major and the chance to scale the summit himself for the first time.
The win also puts Novak Djokovic in the record books alongside Rafael Nadal as the male tennis player with the most grand slam titles (22), with Serena Williams the only player with more titles (23).
