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Novak Djokovic clinches three straight titles at Melbourne Park and an 18th Grand Slam title, placing two behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time rankings; world number one ends first runner-up Daniil Medvedev’s 20-game unbeaten streak in the process
Last Updated: 02/21/21 12:50 pm
Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his ninth Australian Open and his 18th Grand Slam overall.
Novak Djokovic remains king of Melbourne Park after sealing his third consecutive Australian Open title and ninth overall as the world number one edged out Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-2 6-2 in Melbourne on Sunday .
The victory earned Djokovic an 18th career Grand Slam title to place him two behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time rankings.
In an astonishing dominance of the men’s game, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have now won 15 of the last 16 Grand Slam titles despite the fact that they are all in their 30s, with the exception of Dominic Thiem at last year’s US Open.
Djokovic held the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and said: “It’s been a roller coaster for me, especially the last few weeks. (Physio) Uli (Badio), a special thank you to you. You’ve spent so much time making sure I can play. I’m Eternally grateful Thank you guys I love you.
“There are a lot of mixed feelings about what happened in the last month with the tennis players who came to Australia, but I think when we drew a line at the end, it was a successful tournament.
“It was not easy, it was very challenging on many different levels, but I think (the organizers) should be proud of themselves for what they have gathered and allowed us to come to Australia and be here.
“Last but not least, I would like to thank this court. I would like to thank Rod Laver Arena. I love you more and more every year. The love story continues.”
Djokovic crushed Medvedev to continue his dominance at Melbourne Park
Djokovic declared himself fully fit following a third round abdominal injury against Taylor Fritz and battled Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev.
He declared himself in prime condition again after beating Aslan Karatsev in straight sets in the semi-finals, which turned out to be bad news for Medvedev.
Playing in his 28th Major final, Djokovic flew off the blocks, making a perfect start to take a 3-0 lead.
Medvedev, who reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in 2019, entered the final with great confidence having won three titles in a 20-game unbeaten streak.
Having beaten Djokovic in straight sets at the ATP Finals last November, the Russian responded after winning a 28-shot rally to find a way to bounce back and level up at 3-3.
But it was Djokovic who finally drew first blood by beating a high-quality set after the fourth seed lost serve again in the 12th game to tip the balance in favor of the Serb.
An exciting final saw Medvedev finish as runner-up
Medvedev, who has many of the same traits as Djokovic in terms of his defensive qualities and relentless consistency from the back of the court, immediately broke down at the start of the second.
But the 33-year-old responded by winning five of the next six games as Medvedev began to unravel, venting his growing frustration on his racket.
Another break in the next game gave Djokovic the set 6-2 and a comfortable lead as he looked to tighten his grip at the Norman Brooks Challenge Cup for the ninth time.
The 25-year-old Russian was coming off two sets before losing to Nadal in the US Open final in 2019 on his Grand Slam debut, but his attempts to repeat it were quickly extinguished by a rather magnificent display from his opponent.
A masterful Djokovic found open water before sealing victory with an overhead to continue his dominance at Melbourne Park.
With his ninth title, the 33-year-old becomes the second man after Nadal in Paris to win a Major more than eight times.
Djokovic vs Medvedev: match statistics
| Djokovic | Match statistics | Medvedev |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Aces | 6 |
| two | Double fouls | 4 |
| 73% | First serve win percentage | 68% |
| 57% | Second serve win percentage | 33% |
| 11/7 | Break points won | 2/4 |
| twenty | Total winners | 24 |
| 17 | Unforced errors | 30 |
| 87/155 | Total points earned | 68/155 |
Medvedev called Djokovic a ‘great sport, great person’ after his loss to the world number one in Sunday’s final
After picking up the runners-up plate, Medvedev said: “It’s never easy to talk when you’ve just lost a Grand Slam final, but I’m going to try to do my best, better than on the court, hopefully.”
“First of all, congratulations to Novak and his team. Nine Grand Slams in Australia are incredible and probably not the last. I have no words to say.
“Just to tell you a little story, I first practiced with Novak when he was 500 or 600 years old in the world in Monaco. He was already number one, and I thought, ‘Okay, he’s not going to talk to me or something,’ because the boy was he a god to me.
“As he was shy, he did not speak, he asked me questions, he spoke to me as a friend and you have never changed. You are a great athlete, a great person.
“It was not the best day today, but three months passed after some difficult circumstances, so thank you all for being with me. Hopefully, we will celebrate a Grand Slam soon.”
Djokovic (left) said Medvedev was a ‘class act’ after the Russian’s kind words to his winning opponent.
Djokovic replied: “I would like to return some nice words to Daniil. First of all, act classy, you are a great guy, a great person, you show again why.
“We used to spend more time together in Monaco. You didn’t call me anymore in recent years. But it’s good to see that you think well of me. I really like Daniil as a person off the pitch.
“On the court, he’s definitely one of the toughest players I’ve ever faced in my life. It’s a matter of time when you’re going to celebrate a grand slam, that’s for sure. If you don’t mind waiting a few more years.”
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