Australian Open: Djokovic the ‘greatest that ever held a tennis racquet’, says Tsitsipas
- Greek pays tribute to Novak Djokovic after losing men’s singles final in straight sets
- Serbian at his dominant best as he draws level with Rafael Nadal on 22 grand slam titles
Stefanos Tsitsipas paid tribute to Novak Djokovic after losing to the Serbian in Sunday’s Australian Open final, lauding him as the “greatest that ever held a tennis racquet.”
Djokovic was at his dominant best as he drew level with Rafael Nadal on 22 men’s grand slam singles titles thanks to a straight-sets win over Tsitsipas at Melbourne Park.
The 35-year-old won 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 at Rod Laver Arena to make it 10 wins from as many Australian Open finals.
Djokovic was barred from defending his own crown last year when deported from Australia because of his Covid-19 vaccination status, but he returned with a vengeance in 2023, dropping just one set across seven matches as he also reclaimed the world No 1 spot.
But most importantly it put him level again with Nadal in terms of major titles, after the Spaniard won in Melbourne and Roland Garros last year.
Despite this parity, Tsitsipas has no doubt who he believes is the best to ever play the sport.
