Novak Djokovic enters a little more into the legend of tennis. By winning against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open final (6-3, 7-6, 7-6) on Sunday January 29, the Serbian player equaled Rafael Nadal’s record by winning a 22nd title of the grand slam tournaments, his 10th in Melbourne in as many finals played. Novak Djokovic kills two birds with one stone as he takes the opportunity to reclaim his world number one throne, at the top of the ATP rankings.

The 35-year-old Serb beat Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) in the final. The latter will again become 3rd in the world in the ATP ranking on Monday, behind the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz who was absent in Melbourne due to an injury.

Once victory was assured on a final fault by his opponent, Djokovic went up to his box to kiss his team, including his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and his mother, Dijana, and collapsed there in tears.

He was dominant the whole game and didn’t seem bothered at all by his hamstring injury. He also played for the first time in the tournament without his huge bandage.

Like Nadal at Roland-Garros, Djokovic has never lost in the final in Melbourne where he now holds the record of ten titles.

Expelled from Australia last year before the start of the tournament, Djokovic could only observe, powerless, the strong comeback of Rafael Nadal who had taken a step ahead in the race for the grand slam titles with a 21st major coronation (20 for Djokovic and Federer). A few months later, the Spaniard pushed his advantage at Roland-Garros.

Winner then at Wimbledon but banned from entering the United States for the US Open, the Serb therefore had to wait for the Australian Major to return to Nadal on Sunday.

These impossibilities to play and the absence of points distributed at Wimbledon made him lose his number 1 spot last year. He recovered it on Sunday and will begin his 374th week at the top of the world hierarchy on Monday, a new record. Since 2021, he also holds the record for the number of seasons finished in number 1.

For his part, Tsitsipas was playing his second grand slam final after Roland-Garros in 2021 where he had already been beaten by Djokovic, but in five sets and after winning the first two.