Djokovic crushes Tsitsipas to win 10th Australian Open

MELBOURNE: A ruthless Novak Djokovic won a record-setting 10th Australian Open title on Sunday, extending his reign over Melbourne Park. In a one-sided final, he crushed the Grand Slam hopes of Greek rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In a rematch of the final match at the 2021 French Open, Djokovic beat Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), and 7-6(5) at Rod Laver Arena to regain the number one spot in the world and keep Tsitsipas from winning his first major title.

As Serbian and Greek fans yelled from the stands like they were cheering for their teams, the crowd was often wild.

But in the end, the chants of “Nole! Nole!” won out as Djokovic took a 5-0 lead in the final tiebreak and won the match with a hard forehand down the line that Tsitsipas couldn’t return.

The 35-year-old Serb tapped his temple and then his heart as he walked forward to shake hands with Tsitsipas. He then jumped into his player’s box, where he hugged his mother and cried.

A year after he was shockingly kicked out of Australia on the day before the Grand Slam because he hadn’t been vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic’s victory was the best way to make up for it.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia is happy with the trophy. — @AustralianOpen on Twitter
Novak Djokovic of Serbia is happy with the trophy. — @AustralianOpen on Twitter
On Sunday, when he won the clash of generations and was cheered by his army of Serbian fans, that dark time seemed like a long time ago.