No male player in recent history has perhaps used pain and disappointment as motivation to win like Novak Djokovic. A year ago, the Serb was on a self-deception spiral, having been ousted from Australia – where he was the three-time defending champion – because of his unconvincing status. On Sunday, he did more than enough to shake off those difficult memories by claiming a record-extending tenth Australian Open singles title (Open Era). A straight-sets victory over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas also drew Djokovic level with Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22 major trophies, the best among men. The win capped off an incredible year for Djokovic. In 2022, he was not allowed to compete in two of the four Grand Slam tournaments and four of the eight ATP Masters 1000s and did not receive any points for winning Wimbledon. Nevertheless, he finished in the top-5, claiming the joint-best-five title (with Carlos Alcaraz). Successes at the Adelaide International earlier this month and later in Melbourne saw him return to the top of the ATP rankings for a record 374th week, which always looked like his rightful place. Barely four months away from turning 36, Djokovic is at a stage where an athlete’s physical prowess – regardless of indomitable will – is expected to recede into the past. While this appears to be true of Nadal, Djokovic’s facade of invincibility appears to be firmly intact.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka’s tennis was perfect as she claimed her first Major title with a win over Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, who was also the Wimbledon champion. She looked set for bigger things in 2021 when she reached the last four at Wimbledon and the US Open, and after ending the year at No. 2, the heavyweight Belarusian has had a lot to play for in the past 12 months due to the Russia-Ukraine war and The emotional toll of competing as a neutral athlete. It was a credit to the 24-year-old that she did not let that derail her quest for excellence, becoming only the second from her country after Victoria Azarenka – who raced through to the semi-finals before losing to Rybakina – to win a singles major. . A similar bolt by Sania Mirza in her final Slam performance had turned the whole of India on, until she lost in the mixed doubles final with Rohan Bopanna to add to her six Grand Slam titles. But the 36-year-old, who is set to retire at the WTA Dubai 1000 next month, will go down as one of India’s greatest ever players, a fearless competitor who inspired a generation, both on and off the court.