Novak Djokovic or the misfortunes of a king

Eight finals in Melbourne, eight titles, nobody has done better than Novak Djokovic in the history of tennis, winner on Sunday February 2 of his 17th Grand Slam. WILLIAM WEST / AFP

We were far from the masterpiece that he had signed almost a year ago today to the day against Rafael Nadal, "The greatest match of (S)for life ", according to him. It will have taken five sets instead of three, but the epilogue is the same: Sunday February 2, Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open (6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4). For her 3e attempt (after Roland-Garros 2018 and 2019), Dominic Thiem failed to break the hegemony of the magic trio Federer-Nadal-Djokovic, this famous "Big 3" which weighs 56 Grand Slam titles and took control of the 13 last.

Eight finals in Melbourne, eight titles, no one has done better than the Serb in tennis history. The more depopulated the picture, the more observers predicted a 17e crown in Grand Slam. The conjecture had the gift of annoying Roger Federer, but the outcome seemed inevitable. Since 2008 and its first coronation, the future world number one has been levitating at antipodes, its "Favorite land", he recalled after his victory over Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals.

Sunday, it became the 3e player in history to roll the big eight in the same Major, after … Nadal at Roland Garros and Roger Federer at Wimbledon. "I play to write history", he said in Paris in June. His two elders feel a little more the breath of their youngest on their neck. He is only two lengths from the Spaniard (19), three from the Swiss (20).

"To stagnate is to regress"

The Serb started the fortnight in the shadows, there was only one for his two rivals. Especially Federer. The statue was already high. After Switzerland's miraculous victories in Melbourne, she now has a superhero cape on her back. Djokovic, him, advanced in his corner, would laugh who would laugh last. In front of the press, the Serb is often made wait but for three years, in the final of the Grand Slams, he is always on time.

Read also Roger Federer's miracles at the Australian Open

"You can have a good game or two, a good month or two, but how do you maintain that level systematically?" This formula for success is the Holy Grail for all athletes, did he develop in the New york times January 25. I believe that the first quality required is the constant desire to improve in every detail. To stagnate is to regress. "

On the court, there are still fits of anger, broken rackets, gestures of humor, as was the case on Sunday. After easily winning the first round, it was believed that the next two would be just a formality. But Djokovic came out of his match: he was annoyed at first against the public, who encouraged his opponent a little too much for his taste, then against the referee who glued him two warnings in a row for timeout in service . "Do you want to get noticed?" Good game ", Djokovic got carried away.

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