Djokovic's domination at the Australian Open ranks among the top ten. With his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, Novak Djokovic extended his unrivalled record of Australian Open victories to ten.
AFP Sport remembers Djokovic's amazing journey to becoming the undisputed king of Melbourne Park:
2008 was the first year for a Serb
She is the first Serb to win a Grand Slam. When he was 20, he broke into the big time with a straight-sets victory against world number one Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
He defeated Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.
"Every player hopes to win a Grand Slam. I'm still not sure what I've accomplished over the last two weeks "Djokovic, the young man, stated.
The three-year wait is over: 2011
It took Djokovic three years to win his second major title, and he attributed his success to a gluten-free diet.
It was the start of a great year in which he won three of the four Grand Slam titles.
He only dropped one set in Melbourne, defeating reigning champion Federer again in the semi-finals before dominating Andy Murray in the final.
After a poor 2010, Djokovic revealed he chose to overhaul his backroom personnel as well as his nutrition.
"I had to attempt to find the best answer possible and get back on track. That's exactly what I did "He stated.
The longest final: In 2012
Djokovic's first successful Grand Slam defence required endurance feats rarely seen in tennis.
After a five-set battle against Murray in the semi-finals, he had to fight Rafael Nadal for over six hours to win the title.
It was the longest Grand Slam singles final in Open history, lasting till 1:37 a.m.
At the finish of the marathon match, which he won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 in 5hr 53min, Djokovic took off his shirt and yelled.
"Physically, it was the most difficult match I've ever played," Nadal stated after greeting the audience with "Good morning!"
2013's title hat-trick
After defeating Murray in four sets, Djokovic became the first man since the Open era started in 1968 to win three Australian titles in a row.
"It is without a doubt my favourite and most successful Grand Slam. I adore this court "Djokovic stated.
Revenge against Wawrinka: 2015
Djokovic was defeated in the 2014 quarter-finals by eventual winner Stan Wawrinka, but he was back to his punishing best a year later.
He rolled past Murray won the trophy after getting revenge on the Swiss in the semi-finals, delivering a devastating 6-0 bagel on the Scot in the final set to level Andre Agassi on the all-time list with eight Grand Slam victories.
Three months prior, his wife Jelena had given birth to their son Stefan.
"I think it has more inherent importance today to my life since I'm a parent and a spouse," Djokovic said.
2016 'Djokovic Slam'
The records kept falling as he won his sixth Melbourne championship, matching Roy Emerson's pre-Open era record and winning his third consecutive major victory after winning Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015.
At the French Open, he would complete the "Djokovic Slam," holding all four majors at the same time.
In the title match, he beat Murray for the fourth time.
"It's a wonderful feeling, especially considering I managed to create history today by tying Roy Emerson's record of six Australian Opens," he remarked.
Sampras was surpassed in 2019
After fighting injuries for two years, including elbow surgery, he defeated longtime adversary Nadal in the final to win a record seventh Australian Open and 15th Grand Slam championship, passing his boyhood idol, Pete Sampras.
"Starting to play tennis and strive to be as good as Pete was undoubtedly a sign of destiny," Djokovic added. "I'm astonished to have surpassed him in Grand Slam championships."
Excellent eight: 2020
Djokovic won his seventh Australian Open championship, as well as his 900th tour-level match win.
Federer was eliminated in straight sets in the semi-finals, but Dominic Thiem provided Djokovic with his most difficult final since the Nadal epic in 2012.
Djokovic finally came back from a two-set deficit to win his 17th major.
"Grand Slams are obviously the ones I appreciate the most at this point in my career. They are my top priorities "He stated.
The date for the battle is 2021
Djokovic appeared to be on his way out when he could hardly run in the third round against Taylor Fritz due to an abdominal ailment, but he came back to win in five sets.
He couldn't practise in between rounds, but he became stronger with each round and made it to the final.
As a rampaging Djokovic extended his spotless record in finals in Melbourne, world number four Daniil Medvedev went the way of the Serb's eight previous final opponents.
Greater drama, more glory: 2023
The fourth seed returns after missing the 2022 tournament due to his Covid attitude.
There were fears about how he would be treated by the audience, as well as hamstring issues, but the Serb received a rousing welcome and his injury improved as the tournament progressed.
There was even greater uproar when his father, Srdjan, was seen smiling next to a Russian flag with Vladimir Putin's portrait on it.
Djokovic set aside everything to reach the final, where he defeated Tsitsipas for his 10th Melbourne championship and a record-equaling 22 Slam titles.
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