- Novak Djokovic won the 2023 Australian Open
- He played against Stefano Tsitsipas
- Djokovic beat Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) in Sunday’s final
Novak Djokovic has won the 2023 Australian Open in a historic match with Stefano Tsitsipas.
Djokovic beat Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) on Sunday’s final. He said that when you consider the circumstances, this was one of the most challenging tournaments, but he is grateful.
He said his family has been through so much since his deportation in 2022 from Melbourne. Thus, winning the 2023 Australian Open was such a big deal.
“This has been one of the most difficult tournaments, considering the circumstances not playing last year coming back this year. I want to thank all the people who made me feel comfortable. There is a reason I have been playing may best tennis here,” The Telegraph reports.
This brings his total Grand Slam wins to 22. It is a resounding comeback after his 2022 tribulations in Melbourne. Australian Border Officials deported him over a visa mix-up that was further compounded by his non-vaccination status against Covid-19.
Novak Djokovic with Stefano Tsitsipas. Photo/The Guardian News Nigeria
He congratulated Tsitsipas, describing him as a great player and encouraging him that he would play in many more finals. The Serbian said that Tsitsipas is the best rival he has played for ages because he pushes his competitor to the maximum.
His win is also a bold statement for Serbia and Greece, which he described as small countries without a tennis tradition, but they still represent them on the international stage.
Djokovic added that his victory at the same stage he was unceremoniously kicked out of a year ago should inspire young tennis players.
“The message for any young tennis player around the world who is dreaming of being where Stefanos and I are: dream big. It doesn’t matter where you are coming from,” Djokovic said.
On his part, Tsitsipas said Djokovic is one player who inspires him so much, and he always brings out the best in him.
It was an emotional moment for Djokovic as he stepped into the box and shed tears as he received the trophy for his 10th Australian Open championship title.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka is the winner of the 2023 Australian Open after defeating Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s finals.
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final match on day thirteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2023. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE —
After losing the first set, Belarusian Sabalenka took control of the match to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 and become the first singles player to win a major while competing under a neutral flag.
When she received her trophy post-match, she said that the victory resulted from a team effort. She also said the victory came after many ups and downs in 2022.
“Thank you for an amazing atmosphere. And of course my team, the craziest team on tour I would say. We’ve been through a lot of downs last year, we worked so hard. You guys deserve this trophy, it’s more about you than me. I hope next year I come back stronger and I’ll show you even better tennis,” Sky Sports reports.
Rybakina got off to a stronger start, defeating Sabalenka in the third game after she had led 40-0. She held her own comfortably until the eighth game when the Belarusian strung together a string of solid returns and received her reward.
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