A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

Winning his 10“ Australian Open title last week, Novak Djokovic definitely established himself as one of the greatest in the game, but it is futile to compare the Serbian with his contemporaries as part of the Greatest Of All Time’ debate

- S KANNAN

Novak Djokovic winning a historic 10th Australian Open title and equalling Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam tally at 22 has stirred the debate on who is the greatest in modern tennis. No doubt, the way the Serbian fought in a tough fortnight at the season's first Grand Slam in Melbourne was reminiscent of how soldiers fight till the last minute.

The big difference, here, is that Djokovic had a huge tear in his left hamstring but he still continued to play. It was fraught with risk and, at the same time, also showed, once again, how eager he was to win this title. In 2022, Djokovic had been humiliated by Australia when he was deported. On his return in 2023, the numero uno was craving to go full tilt Down Under.

Damn, that injury was a bother, even though people mocked it. The talk was about how someone who was injured could still play and win matches. That Djokovic won seven matches was proof he wanted to show the world how much he loves tennis. As his coach, crazy in his own playing days, Goran Ivanišević said, 'only a crazy guy would do it.

Through sheer effort, withstanding pain, and soldiering on, Djokovic showed through the fortnight a hunger to win the big title.

He has spoken repeatedly at press conferences in Australia, he knows each day he plays is a bonus and each Major he competes in is so important. We thought he was inert to emotions. The way he exploded into tears after the final, when he beat Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, was a reflection of how much he had bottled up all his emotions.

The tennis world saw the Big Three Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - cry at the Laver Cup last year when the Swiss Master announced his retirement. It was strange how three people, perceived as rivals on the court, actually could console each other.

The same thing happened in 2023, with Djokovic opening up in tears.

Images of the champion hugging his mom and getting emotional are fresh in my memory.