Novak Djokovic is the most decorated men’s player of all time at the Australian Open, boasting 10 titles so far.
Djokovic’s 10 Australian Open titles are behind only the 11 of Margaret Court, who he is tied with on 24 Grand Slam titles.
Another opportunity to move ahead of the female legend arrives next month, ahead of which Djokovic will play at the Adelaide International.
The 38-year-old will begin another season on the ATP Tour at the event, which he will be using as practice for the Australian Open.
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Novak Djokovic said he always felt ‘fresh’ for the Australian Open
Djokovic last won the Grand Slam in 2023, and 10 years before that gave an insight into his success in Melbourne.
Going for three in a row at the time, he was asked at the 2013 Australian Open why it was such a difficult achievement.
The Serbian replied: “That’s a good question. From my personal experience, I like playing here because it’s after probably five, six, seven weeks of break with no official tournament.
“So you get time to recover, regroup, recharge your batteries mentally, physically, try to get ready for the new season with four, five weeks of good practice.
“You come here fresh. You’re motivated and inspired to play some good tennis. In my case, has been working well. This is my most successful Grand Slam.
“But this Grand Slam is also known for a lot of surprises, players who have been reaching the final stages who are not expected to, especially in the last six, seven years. We’ll see. We’ll see. The Australian Open always brings something interesting.”
Novak Djokovic shared his true feelings about Rafael Nadal at the 2013 Australian Open
Fittingly, Djokovic went on to clinch a third successive title that year, a feat he also achieved from 2019 to 2021.
His first three-peat was, however, made somewhat easier by the absence of Rafael Nadal at the 2013 Australian Open.
Nadal, who had his return from a lengthy knee injury hampered by illness, lost the 2012 final to the Serbian in five hours and 53 minutes.
Sharing his verdict on his rival’s absence in 2013, Djokovic said: “Yeah, it is definitely a loss for the tournament, for tennis, for sport in general not to have Rafa playing still on the court.
“It’s been, what, seven months since he’s played his last official match. I mean, I know him really well. We grew up together in a way.
“He’s a year older than me. So I know that he’s a great competitor, somebody that never gives up, fights until the last moment.
“And he loves this sport. I’m sure if he felt he was ready enough to play this tournament, best‑of‑five in the Australian summer that can be brutal and difficult to play, then he would come. He probably felt he needs more time to recover. I wish him a speedy recovery.”
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Instead, it was Andy Murray who threatened to end Djokovic’s dominance, but the Scot couldn’t quite manage.
He lost the final 6-7(2-7), 7-6(7-3), 6-3, 6-2 to Djokovic, who became the first man in the Open Era to win the Australian Open three consecutive times.
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