Novak Djokovic made historical past as soon as once more Sunday when he clinched a record-equalling twenty second Grand Slam title on the Australian Open. The Serbian produced a ruthless show to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, rising to No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the primary time since June together with his victory.
Following his record-extending tenth Australian Open crown, the 35-year-old revealed that the fireplace to attain extra burns as brilliant as ever.
“I am motivated to win as many Slams as possible. At this stage of my career, these trophies are the biggest motivational factor of why I still compete,” mentioned Djokovic, who moved stage with Rafael Nadal on 22 majors. “I by no means actually favored evaluating myself to others, however after all it is a privilege to be a part of the dialogue as one of many best gamers of all time. If individuals see me this manner, after all it’s totally flattering as a result of I do know that I give as a lot effort and power into attempting to win slams as anyone else.
“I nonetheless have a lot of motivation. Let’s see how far it takes me. I actually do not wish to cease right here. I haven’t got intentions to cease right here. I really feel nice about my tennis. I do know that when I’m feeling good bodily, mentally current, I’ve an opportunity to win any Slam towards anyone.
“Physically I can keep myself fit. Of course, 35 is not 25, even though I want to believe it is. But I still feel there is time ahead of me. Let’s see how far I go.”
Djokovic’s Message To The Fans:
Our AO Champion 💙 🏆@australianopen | #AusOpen | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/gPQPCihzpV
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 29, 2023
The Serbian captured his maiden Australian Open title aged 20 in 2008 earlier than he rose to No. 1 for the primary time in July 2011. More than a decade later and Djokovic stays a dominant pressure, with the 35-year-old pleased with the work he and his staff have put in to allow him to remain on the prime.
“I nurture and celebrate these moments of becoming No. 1 again and Grand Slam champion even more than I have maybe ever in my career. I don’t take it for granted,” Djokovic mentioned.
“It’s just so fresh. I just came off the court. Of course, I have to reflect and sleep over a few nights and just realise what I’ve been through with my team. Of course, it makes me incredibly proud, but it also is a huge relief because it hasn’t been smooth sailing, so to say, on and off the court in the last three to four weeks.”
Perfect 10: Djokovic Returns To No. 1 With twenty second Major At AO
Djokovic entered the hard-court main with a left hamstring harm that he sustained en path to successful his 92nd tour-level title in Adelaide earlier this month. Having struggled all through his opening three rounds, the Serbian’s title probabilities in Melbourne seemed threatened.
However, he improved bodily within the latter levels to triumph.
“If I turn back the time two and a half weeks ago, I wasn’t really liking my chance in this tournament with the way I felt with my leg,” Djokovic mentioned. “Then it was only a matter of survival each single match, attempting to take it to the following spherical.
“The advantage of the Grand Slam right here is that you’ve a day between the matches, so it allowed me to have extra time than regular [at] another tournaments to get well, to attempt to do all of the remedies with a purpose to get myself in considerably of a very good state and situation to play and ultimately win.
“From [the] fourth spherical onwards, I felt the leg was not bothering me as a lot. I felt my motion was significantly better. I performed a few of my finest tennis truthfully in [this] Australian Open. The fourth spherical, quarter-final, semi-finals, simply actually snug on the courtroom, hitting the ball nice.”
With Sunday’s win, Djokovic improved to 11-2 in his ATP Head2Head sequence towards Tsitsipas, having additionally defeated the 24-year-old Greek within the Roland Garros ultimate in 2021. Following his twelfth win of the season, an emotional Djokovic climbed into his field, the place he embraced coach Goran Invanisevic and the remainder of his staff.
“It [was] just a huge pride and satisfaction that I feel at the moment,” Djokovic mentioned. “Of course, once I went into my field, I simply assume emotionally collapsed there and teared up with my mom and my brother, once I gave them a hug. Because as much as that second I used to be not permitting myself to be distracted with issues off the courtroom or no matter was taking place in coping with an harm, issues taking place off the courtroom, as properly, that might simply have been a giant disturbance to my focus, to my sport.
“It required an enormous mental energy really to stay present, to stay focused, to take things day by day, and really see how far I can go.”
Source web site: www.atptour.com
