MELBOURNE, Australia – Maybe, just maybe, it was thought, Novak Djokovic would be just a little more sensitive to problems this time at the Australian Open.
He finally ripped an abs in the third round and wasn’t sure he could compete further. On Sunday, Djokovic gave up five sets in the tournament, the highest number he ever dropped on his way to a grand final. And to top it all off, he faced Daniil Medvedev, owner of a 20-game winning streak.
Yes correct. We’re talking about Djokovic in Melbourne Park, where his dominance is certainly intact – nine finals, nine championships. Plus, he still wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, now to 18 overall, two shy of the men’s record those rivals share.
Djokovic used improved service, along with his usual relentless return and stellar baseline to win 11 out of 13 matches in one go, beating Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 for a third consecutive Australian Open trophy.
“Absolutely, emotionally, the most challenging Grand Slam I’ve ever had, with everything that happened – injuries, things off the track, quarantines,” said Djokovic. “A rollercoaster ride.”
When the game ended after less than two hours, Djokovic went to the sidelines, lifted his white shirt and pulled pieces of beige athletic tape from his stomach.
“I was quite concerned,” said Djokovic about the injury. “I didn’t realistically think I could really play. I didn’t know until two hours before the fourth round game. “
Dealing with what he called ‘bearable’ pain, Djokovic improved to a combined 18-0 in semi-finals and finals on the Melbourne clay courts.
“It probably won’t be your last,” said Medvedev. “I have no words to say.”
Djokovic, a 33-year-old from Serbia, has won six of the last 10 majors and remains at number 1 in the rankings through March 8. That gives him 311 weeks there, breaking another point from Federer.
His goals are now squarely at Grand Slams, even more than before.
Put Djokovic’s nine triumphs in Australia alongside five at Wimbledon, three at the US Open and one at the French Open. The calculation looks good to him: He is about a year younger than Nadal and 6 1/2 younger than Federer.
“I enjoy the success even more,” said Djokovic, “because I know that the longer the time passes, the more difficult it will be.”
The No. 4 seeded Medvedev appeared in his second Slam final; he was Nadal’s runner-up at the 2019 US Open.
The 25-year-old from Russia had beaten Top 10 opponents 12 times in a row, but trying to solve Djokovic in Australia is a unique challenge.
“He’s really good (at) reading an opponent’s game,” said Medvedev, “knowing what you’re going to do next, how to beat yourself.”
As things slid, Medvedev bounced his white racket off the blue field and then absolutely destroyed it with a full peak. He kept looking at his coach with palms up as if to ask, “What can I do here?”
It’s a familiar feeling in this stadium: Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem – all Grand Slam champions, all beaten by Djokovic in semifinals or finals in Melbourne.
On a cool, cloudy evening, an event was postponed for three weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic with an announced attendance of 7,426 at Rod Laver Arena. Spectators were banned from the tournament five days earlier due to a COVID-19 lockdown, but were eventually re-entered at 50% capacity.
“There are a lot of mixed feelings about what has happened to tennis players coming to Australia over the past month,” said Djokovic. “But I think if we draw a line at the end, it was a successful tournament for the organizers.”
And for him.
Medvedev’s flat, forehand-the-racket-around-his-neck was questionable at first, missing wide, long and in the net in the first 10 minutes. Djokovic took 13 of the match’s initial 16 points and a quick 3-0 lead. But soon it was 3-all and then 5-all.
But then Djokovic stepped up and Medvedev stepped back. Djokovic kept the love going and broke to claim the set when Medvedev hit a forehand into the net just after someone in the audience shouted at the point.
Djokovic started the second set with a foul in the net, then shook his left arm and strained his shoulders. That point ended with a backhand missing in the net, and he stared at his guesthouse. Another netted backhand gave Medvedev a break.
But the extreme experience gap showed there. Medvedev immediately relinquished his next two service games. In total, Djokovic broke seven times and made just 17 unforced mistakes against Medvedev’s 30.
“Masterpiece,” said Goran Ivanisevic, 2001 Wimbledon champion and one of Djokovic’s coaches.
Medvedev appeared to have a small opening at 4-2 in the third inning and came 15-30 on Djokovic’s serve with a forehand winner and waved to the crowd to make noise. As if he took that as a personal insult, Djokovic took the next three points and the match, then pointed his right index finger at his temple and gritted his teeth.
It was soon over.
“When I come to Australia I always get that extra dose of confidence,” said Djokovic, “because of my track record here and because of how I play.”