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Novak Djokovic won his 92nd career title and counting, stretching his winning streak on Australian soil to 34 matches.
In an absolute thriller, Novak Djokovic is the 2023 Adelaide Tennis Champion after defeating Sebastian Korda 6-7(8) 7-6(3) 6-4. It is his 92nd career title and counting, stretching his winning streak on Australian soil to 34 matches.
He now climbs the ATP titles ladder to joint-fourth with Rafael Nadal on the all-time list, behind Connors (109 titles), Federer (103 titles), and Lendl (94 titles).
The Serbian didn’t have it easy in the first set against Korda, who converted his seventh set point to take the opening set from Djokovic 7-6.
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Nevertheless, the 34-year-old who is known for thriving under pressure rallied back from the set down and saved a championship point at 5-6 to win the second set 7-6 keeping his title hopes alive.
Eventually, in a match lasting over three hours of a great battle, Djokovic showed again he can always find a way to win, even when not at his best, taking the third set easily 6-4.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic had some great words of encouragement for Korda.
" I'd probably say you were closer to victory today than I was - it was decided in one or two shots, one or two points," he said.
"Tough luck today but the future is bright for you, so just keep going. You're an amazing player."
In the rest of his words, he did sort of address that incident at the end of the first set, where he ordered some of the members of his player's box to move.
“I’ll like to thank my team for handling me and tolerating me in the good and bad times. Today I’m sure they didn’t have such a blast with me today, going back and forth with them. But you know, I appreciate them being here.”
It was Djokovic’s first tournament back in Australia since being deported ahead of the 2022 Australian Open over an attempt to use a medical exemption to enter the country because he was (and is) not vaccinated against Covid-19.
With the Australian Open set to begin next week, he is the favorite to win a 10th Australian Open crown, especially after world No.1 and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injury.
Djokovic is now 102-10 all-time in Australia.
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