Supreme Novak Djokovic steeled for Tsitsipas test in Australian Open final

After his merciless fourth-round demolition of Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic discussed a field that contained no other grand slam champion in the draw. Djokovic identified Stefanos Tsitsipas as the most experienced player left, but as he spoke of the various milestones in Tsitsipas’s career, Djokovic’s memory failed. “I think he has never played a finals, am I wrong?” he said.

Tsitsipas’s conqueror in his only grand slam final just so happened to be Djokovic, who recovered from two sets down in the 2021 French Open final . It was another reminder of how much Djokovic has achieved. When you have reached 33 finals, it is not easy to remember all of them.

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Every player has been dominated by Djokovic at some point, particularly on Rod Laver Arena here, but the list of names with a realistic chance of troubling Djokovic is shorter than in previous years. Aside from the possibility of Djokovic’s hamstring derailing him, a final against Tsitsipas was clearly the biggest threat.

Their French final was a glimpse into what Tsitsipas is capable of. For two sets he showed all of his colours, from his resilience to snatch the first set tiebreak, to the level he maintained in consolidating it. Tsitsipas knows how well he can serve, how he can dominate the baseline with his forehand and use his athleticism and deft touch to stay with Djokovic in the cat-and-mouse exchanges to come. But he also knows how hard the challenge will be. As soon as Djokovic lifted his game in Paris, Tsitsipas faltered.

While Tsitsipas won two of their first three matches, both on outdoor hardcourts, the rest of their encounters have been lopsided. Djokovic has won nine matches in succession against him since 2019 and holds a 10-2 record. The Serb knows how to expose Tsitsipas’s glaring weaknesses. When he finds a rhythm on serve, the Greek’s return of serve can be exposed and Djokovic can usually count on exploiting Tsitsipas’s backhand in the advantage court with his superior backhand.

Every big match Djokovic plays has historic implications. A win would move him equal with Rafael Nadal’s men’s record of 22 grand slam titles.

A 10th Australian Open title would be monumental in its own right. Nadal, 14 times a French Open champion, is the only man to win more than 10 titles at a single slam. Djokovic’s age is not discussed so often given how well he moves and his fitness but pulling off these achievements aged 35 is astounding.

“Fortunately for me at this stage of my career, because of all the achievements, it is always basically every match or every tournament there is always something on the line, particularly when the grand slams are played,” said Djokovic.

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The final will fittingly pit two unbeaten players this season against each other and the champion will ascend to world No 1 on Monday. While Djokovic started the season by winning in Adelaide, Tsitsipas was unbeaten at the United Cup. Djokovic has returned to his dominant level of old and Tsitsipas seems to have unlocked something new .

The clay of Roland Garros may suit Tsitsipas the most, but the vibes in Australia, in front of masses of Greek fans, are unmatched. They have clearly helped produce his best tennis and the prospect of achieving history under these circumstances, as the first Greek grand slam champion and No 1, means even more to him than if it were anywhere else.

Tsitsipas’s experience is evident on the court, but also in the press room. Hours after defeating Karen Khachanov, his meeting with Djokovic in Paris came up. Tsitsipas responded without hesitation: “I don’t remember either,” he said.