You have to go back to January 27, 2008 to find a 20-year-old young man wanting to conquer the world and who was crowned at the Australian Open.
In the era of dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic was looking for his place after having found a solution to his allergy problems with a gluten-free diet.
After the first title on the slopes of Melbourne Park a second, a third and a fourth will come until reaching nine. Today Djokovic will play for the tenth round with Stefanos Tsitsipas on the other side of the net.
Only one player has lifted the same Grand Slam trophy 10 times. It was Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros and the organization had no choice but to dedicate a mosaic to him in one of the funds and give him an exact replica of the Musketeers Cup.. Hers her uncle Toni hers went down to the Philippe Chatrier arena to pick her up tastefully.
The final is starred by two undefeated players in this year. Novak began 2023 with the Adelaide crown while Tsitsipas passed in all four of his United Cup matches. He has suffered more to reach his second major final. He dropped two sets in the round of 16 with Jannik Sinner and another in the semifinal against Karen Khachanov.
The Greek, unlike most racket mortals, You already know what it is to defeat Djokovic. I did it in two of the previous 12. Nevertheless, the last nine games between the two fell on the side of the balcánico.
“At my age, each end of these characteristics is a golden opportunity. I have the motivation and the body responds to me to continue playingNovak muses.
Unlike Roger Federer and Nadal, the other two members of the Big Three, only one injury has disrupted his career. He went on his right elbow and successfully underwent surgery in 2018, precisely after losing for the last time at the Australian Open in the round of 16 with South Korean Hyeon Chung.
At 35 years and 252 days he is one win away from becoming the third-oldest player to win the Norman Brookes Cup after Ken Rosewall and Federer.
The race to be considered the best in history may have a turning point in Australia. Djokovic’s victory will also allow him to break the tie for the 92 titles he shares with Nadal.
One of the dominant
The two colossi of the racket have been distributed 15 of the last 18 majors. They have only meddled with each other Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcarazwinners of the last three editions of the US Open.
Tsitsipas opts to put Greece on the tennis map. It would be the first champion of a great and the first number one of his country. “Since I was little I have dreamed of being the best,” he says.
When he traveled to the tournament for the first time in 2015 to play the junior draw, he saw how his future opponent inscribed his name on the trophy for the fifth time. “My first memories of this tournament are from the final that Baghdatis played,” says the Greek.
The Cypriot gave way in the 2006 edition with Federer but left an incredible atmosphere in the stands. The capital of Victoria, the city that brings together the most Greeks outside of Greece, will be dyed blue and white.
Although the noise will be taken care of by the Serbs, who will populate the Rod Laver Arena with flags. “I hope people come to watch tennis,” reflects Djokovic. “We both come from small countries,” continues Tsitsipas.
Stefanos belongs to the lost generation. At 24 years old, is far from being a Next Gen like Alcaraz, Sinner or Feli-Augerx Aliassime. Glory awaits the Athenian; to his adversary, eternity.
