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MELBOURNE, Australia – The smile on Novak Djokovic’s face after crushing a backhand volley over Daniil Medvedev to clinch a record-breaking ninth Australian Open title on Sunday was not pure joy or even contentment . It was a relief.
As the chant “Nole, Nole, Nole” echoed around the Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic let go of his racquet and fell onto the court, soaking up his unprecedented feat at Melbourne Park. The world No.1 crushed Medvedev – a man who entered Sunday’s final with a 20-game winning streak – 7-5, 6-2, 6-2, in less than two hours, winning his 18th major title to close in two hours. Slam triumphs over his biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
But Djokovic’s victory over the Russian did more than narrow the race for the most major men’s titles; it also ended a miserable 12 months for Djokovic, on and off the pitch.
After winning the Australian Open last February, giving him the No.17 major trophy, it looked like Djokovic was on his way to breaking perhaps the most talked about record in modern sports.
“At this point in my career, the Grand Slam tournaments are the ones I enjoy the most,” Djokovic said after his victory in Melbourne last year. “There are a lot of stats that I’m obviously proud of, [but] The Grand Slam is the reason I’m still competing. “
Djokovic was hoping that the Down Under victory last year “would set the tone for the rest of the year”, but things did not go as he hoped. His final year was a mixture of bad luck and questionable decisions that temporarily derailed his pursuit of tennis’s greatest legacy.
This difficult period began shortly after the celebrations of the Australian Open last year. The world was soon grappling with the rapidly spreading COVID-19. Sport has stopped.
The French Open, originally scheduled for May, was postponed to October, after the US Open, and Wimbledon was canceled. Suddenly, there were only two Slams for the fit Djokovic to play in 2020: Roland Garros, where Nadal reigned supreme over his career, and the US Open. In addition, almost all ATP events scheduled between March and August have been canceled.
With tennis on a five-month hiatus, Djokovic came up with the idea of an exhibition-style tournament in his home region of the Balkans between June and July. ATP gave the green light to the idea, dubbing it Adria Tour.
“Unlike many other players, I was able to train almost every day because we were staying in a house with a tennis court,” Djokovic said from his home in Serbia when the tour was announced. “I refrained from posting clips on social media because I didn’t want to piss off other players.”
Either way, it didn’t take long for the event to come under heavy criticism. Despite the global pandemic, social distancing protocols were lacking at Adria Tour venues, with thousands of fans seen without face masks. Even the players interacted with each other, ignoring health advice to avoid physical contact.
During the tour, a video circulated showing Djokovic and a host of other tennis stars partying topless at the Lafayette Cuisine Cabaret Club in Belgrade. Several days later, Djokovic, then the chairman of the ATP Players Council, announced that he and his wife, Jelena, had contracted COVID-19. The rest of the Adria Tour was quickly canceled.
“Rash decision to go ahead with this ‘exhibition’,” tweeted Australian rival Nick Kyrgios at the time. “But that’s what happens when you ignore all the protocols. Unfortunately, when [Djokovic] was supposed to show leadership and humility, he disappeared. “
A former coach of the Grand Slam champions, who asked not to be identified, told ESPN: “The big question in my mind is: was it ignorance or arrogance from Djokovic?”
A few months later, Djokovic arrived in New York as a big favorite to win his fourth US Open. With Federer and Nadal both absent, Djokovic was one of only three Grand Slam champions in the overall men’s draw, along with Andy Murray and Marin Cilic. It was Djokovic’s tournament to lose and the bookies agreed, installing him as the favorite for the title.
But instead of a relatively stress-free fortnight in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic quickly immersed himself in drama and controversy.
Even before a ball was struck, the Serbian was criticized for suggesting not to participate in the tournament, given that COVID-19 protocols would limit his entourage on the pitch to a single limb.
“No one has been able to participate in sanctioned events or make any money since February and here we have the best player in the world who says it will be too hard to bring just one person.” American Danielle Collins said. “It’s easy to turn down the US Open when someone has made close to $ 150 million in their career.”
Djokovic ended up playing, although he said he struggled with persistent stiff neck ahead of the event. It didn’t seem to hamper him too much until he met Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round, which turned out to be the most infamous tennis match of 2020.
After seeing his serve interrupted by Carreno Busta in Game 11 of the first set and falling behind 5-6, a frustrated Djokovic took a spare ball from his pocket and slammed it firmly towards the back of the field, where it hit a linesman. in the throat. This was not intentional, as an apologetic Djokovic immediately raised his arm and rushed to help, but it left tournament referee Soeren Friemel no choice but to disqualify the seed. n ° 1.
“Based on the facts that the ball was hit angrily, recklessly; that it went straight to the linesman’s throat, the decision was made that Novak should be dropped,” said Friemel.
Djokovic was fined $ 250,000 which he won for reaching the last 16 games and was deprived of his ranking points earned in the tournament. But without a doubt, the biggest hit for him was that he wouldn’t add to his Grand Slam tally.
A few weeks later, Djokovic reached the final at Roland Garros in Paris, where he was largely beaten 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 by clay court master Nadal. Suddenly Federer and Nadal were tied at 20 slams, while Djokovic was stuck at 17.
The 2021 Australian Open gave Djokovic a chance to press the reset button – a return to the field where he had won a record eight titles.
The idea of a ninth title appeared nearly impossible just nine days ago, when Djokovic appeared to be seriously injured after slipping on the white “MELBOURNE” lettering behind the baseline at Rod Laver Arena during his match third round against American Taylor Fritz. Djokovic’s health became the main topic of discussion for the tournament.
But even a tear in the abdominal muscles couldn’t stop it from making more history in Australia.
“He needed this victory so badly,” said Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic. “He’s been through a lot especially after last year, the US Open and a pretty poor final at Roland Garros.”
If Djokovic had lost in Melbourne, he would have remained three majors behind Federer and Nadal, with Nadal’s favorite French Open in June. To just equalize the record, Djokovic should have done what no man has done before: win at least three majors after his 34th birthday, which will arrive in May.
But his victory at the Australian Open brings him closer than ever. Djokovic is the youngest of the trio, and this ninth Australian Open title could be the catalyst for him to achieve the record-breaking feat.
It shows that, for Djokovic, there really isn’t a place like Melbourne – especially after a year of setbacks. This tournament seemed to be exactly what he needed.
“I want to thank Rod Laver Arena. I love you more and more every year,” Djokovic said on Sunday. “The more I earn, the better I feel to come back each year. The love story continues.”
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