2020 French Open experts' picks: Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep? Latest reaction from the 2019 men's final at Melbourne Park. Djokovic and Nadal know each other, their styles and their patterns well. That Djokovic would produce 34 winners and only nine unforced errors was impressive enough. He also broke a tie with his idol, Pete Sampras, for third-most Grand Slam trophies; Djokovic now only trails Federer, with 20, and Nadal. Djokovic picked up his 15th career Grand Slam trophy with the win, moving into sole ownership of third place in history behind Roger Federer with 20 titles and Nadal with 17. I needed that defensive game. Djokovic won each of the initial 16 points he served and 25 of the first 26. I didn't have much chance with five months not playing. The world No 1 and world No 2 met for the 53rd time but there was only ever one winner at Melbourne Park as the Serb exploded out of the blocks and won going away 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 after breaking the Spaniard's serve five times and only facing one break point himself. Nadal could do nothing to stop him. (1:43). Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Australian Open Sunday evening by doing exactly what conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t do – play to your opponent’s best shot.. He is once again at an elite level. "Under the circumstances,'' Djokovic said, "it was truly a perfect match. French Open 2020 best bets, outside shots, top brackets and picks, How the 2020 French Open's protocols differ from those of the US Open, French Open crowd size cut to 1,000 due to virus, French Open 2020 draw positions Novak Djokovic, Simona Halep as favorites, French Open draw shows path for Nadal, Serena, Electronic line-calling has its fans but don't expect to see it at the 2020 French Open, Naomi Osaka's activism, Novak Djokovic's legacy and more US Open takeaways, 2020 French Open: Schedule, how to watch, news, scores and analysis, So much for the hype: The Aussie Open final was Novak Djokovic at his best, Everything you need to know about Novak Djokovic's record-setting seventh Australian Open title. "Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Here's how Nadal explained it: To have a chance when Djokovic plays that well, something extra is required. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. So Djokovic added to previous triumphs in Melbourne in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, along with four titles at Wimbledon, three at the US Open and one at the French Open. MELBOURNE — It was world No. Novak Djokovic will be chasing history when he meets Rafael Nadal in the men's final of the 2019 Australian Open on Sunday. "I am aware that making history of the sport that I truly love is something special,'' the Serb said. If you missed yesterday's epic women's final, here's our report, by Paul Newman in Melbourne: And here's Paul's preview of tonight's match: The players are backstage and we're all set to go at the Rod Laver Arena! Then again, Nadal conceded, "When the player did almost everything better than you, you can't complain much.''. Novak Djokovic is the 2019 Australian Open champion after crushing Rafael Nadal in a surprisingly one-sided men's final in Melbourne. A year ago, could he have envisioned being here now? Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. “For me, this is a school of life or a learning journey of life for me,” Djokovic said. Djokovic holds to love, with some heavy serves and backhands giving Nadal no openings at all. Not so, apparently. Par I don't know. Nadal was looking to win a second Australian Open trophy — his first was in 2009 — which would’ve given him at least two titles from each of the four Grand Slams. The Serb’s back to being a dominant force on the tour. By the end of the second set, Djokovic had won nearly twice as many points (59-30), made more winners (23-14) and far fewer unforced errors (20-4), while taking 14 of 17 points that lasted at least 10 strokes. It was also their eighth matchup in a major final. Djokovic's loving home was meant to be Melbourne Park, given that he is the Australian Open's undisputed king with a record eight titles; the latest added on Sunday night. Nadal could make no headway. Djokovic's record in Melbourne … This is the 53rd matchup between the pair, with Djokovic currently leading 27-25 in the head-to-head. '', Nadal's take? He netted a backhand to miss out on the chance to even the third set. He broke his tie with Roger Federer and Roy Emerson for most Australian Open men's titles. He’s now won three consecutive Grand Slam titles having taken the Wimbledon and US Open trophies last year. “How many (more) seasons are to come? 2 Rafael Nadal who carved out a slice of tennis history for himself in the Australian Open final on Sunday night. At the time many thought he’d seen his best days in the game, but they were wrong. Upon victory, Djokovic first pumped his hands in the air and went to his knees, then kissed his hand and banged down on the court with both hands. In total, Djokovic had nine unforced errors to 28 for Nadal, and 34 winners to 21. "One of the most important objectives for the match was to start off well and to bring in the right mindset and intensity,'' Djokovic said, "and make sure that he also feels my presence.''. 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"I think that's probably the biggest secret of my success.''. He had been tied at 14 majors with Pete Sampras. '', Djokovic's coach, Marian Vajda, said: "I would describe it as dominance. He slid and stretched and occasionally even did the splits, contorting his body to get wherever and whenever he needed. A Melbourne, le Serbe avait notamment détruit Rafael Nadal en finale. Soon after, he decided to have surgery. The longest was a 22-shot point, which ended when Nadal netted a backhand to give Djokovic a set point at the end of the first. So Djokovic added to previous triumphs in Melbourne … Djokovic sat out the last half of 2017. In a breathtakingly mistake-free performance that yielded a remarkably lopsided result, the No. Unleash on the strength. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. 1-ranked Djokovic overwhelmed Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday night to win a record seventh Australian Open championship and a third consecutive Grand Slam title, raising his count to 15 overall. "An amazing level of tennis. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. In a near perfect performance, Djokovic captured a record seventh Australian Open title in so many finals played by dismantling Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. He also underwent right ankle surgery in November. Djokovic has dropped two sets in this tournament, whilst Nadal has won all his matches in straight-sets. I don't want to sound arrogant, but I always believe in myself,'' Djokovic said. Un match qu'il n'est pas loin de considérer aujourd'hui avec un peu de recul comme le chef-d'œuvre de sa carrière. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Djokovic grabbed 13 of the first 14 points, including all four that lasted 10 strokes or more. Please allow a moment for the blog to load. “I had the surgery exactly 12 months ago and now to be standing here winning this title and the last three of four Slams is amazing. No ball, no matter how well-struck, was out of Djokovic's reach. "I do want to definitely focus myself on continuing to improve my game and maintaining the overall well-being that I have mental, physical, emotional, so I would be able to compete at such a high level for the years to come, and have a shot at eventually getting closer to Roger's record. In 2012, the two met in the final and Djokovic won the five-setter, which at 5 hours, 53 minutes was the longest Grand Slam men’s final in history. Given that he's coming off a series of injuries, given that he hadn't played since the US Open last September, Nadal couldn't raise his game. Djokovic left Nadal smirking or gritting his teeth or punching his racket strings, unable to compete at all. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. A trend was established. Evenly matched as they were that night, this time was no contest. It was Nadal’s first official tournament since he retired with injury in his semifinal match at the US Open. As the sun begins to slowly descend, with Federer now 39 years old and Nadal and Djokovic well into their mid-thirties, the famous wins in Melbourne, Paris, … Through two sets, Djokovic had only posted four unforced errors to 20 for Nadal. "Of course, it motivates me.''. The victory, a seventh Down Under, moves him one clear of Roger Federer as the most decorated male player in the tournament's history. 2 Rafael Nadal who carved out a slice of tennis history for himself in the Australian Open final on Sunday night. Djokovic reduced one of the greats of the game to merely another outclassed opponent -- just a guy, really -- and one so out of sorts that Nadal even whiffed on one of his famous forehands. “I’m just trying to contemplate on the journey the last year,” Djokovic told the crowd. If anything, the gap between him and the rest is growing right now. Nadal, who arrived in the final without having lost a set, was unable to make any inroads into Djokovic’s game, which was particularly bolstered by a stinging backhand. The Spaniard would’ve been the first man in the Open era, and only the third in history along with Emerson and Rod Laver, to have achieved that feat. After a fortnight full of twists and turns, this is the match everyone wanted - both players are on top form and it is almost impossible to call. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. It's still far.”, More:Five things we learned from the Australian Open. "When he's playing that way I needed something else. 2, owns 17 major trophies and hadn't dropped a set in the tournament -- was hard to comprehend. 1 Novak Djokovic and not No. Should point out that Djokovic is the slight favourite, given his 100% winning record in finals at the Australian Open. Djokovic tops Nadal in straight sets to win Australian Open (1:43), Djokovic rolls past Nadal to win Aussie title, Rafael Nadal remains confident despite most trying French Open yet, Nadal, US Open champ Thiem advance in Paris, Serena tops Ahn to reach French second round, Female doubles player out of French due to virus, Paire, now negative for virus, grateful after win, Rublev stuns Tsitsipas to lift Hamburg title, Gauff tops No. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Novak has won six titles in Melbourne, but Rafa's only victory here was 10 years ago, in a five-set win against Roger Federer. In his first seven service games, the Serb only surrendered two points. It lasted a tad more than 2 hours. Novak has won six titles in Melbourne, but Rafa's only … Nadal had to wait until the sixth game of the third set, with Djokovic already up a break at 3-2, for a break point opportunity in the match. He was on the right path. Djokovic’s serve was incredibly accurate as he served seven games at love. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The pre-match warm-up is complete, and Novak Djokovic will start proceedings on serve. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. So let the talk begin about four majors in a row over two seasons, something Djokovic already managed to do from 2015 to 2016. Djokovic has dropped two sets in this tournament, whilst Nadal has won all his matches in straight-sets. Nadal still leads their matches at the majors 9-6, but Djokovic’s won both at Melbourne Park. That it came against Nadal -- who is ranked No. MELBOURNE — It was world No. "I can't be sad because I played against a player today that was better than me," Nadal said. So there should not have been any mysteries out there on Rod Laver Arena's blue court as they began with the temperature, which had topped 105 degrees in recent days, at a manageable 75 and just a hint of wind. Sunday’s final paled in comparison in terms of competitiveness, but it certainly was stellar in displaying how one opponent can dominate another. This was their 53rd meeting -- more than any other pair of men in the half-century professional era -- and record-equaling 15th at a Grand Slam tournament. 1 Novak Djokovic and not No. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. "Novak probably could have won, no matter who the opponent was.''. It was a combination of Djokovic dictating play, and Nadal being unable to even plan a strategy on points as he struggled to keep the ball from spraying beyond the lines or into the net. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Then again, Nadal conceded, "When the player did almost everything better than you, you can't complain much.'' Right from the start, though, this shaped up nothing like their only previous Australian Open title match, back in 2012, which Djokovic won in 5 hours, 53 minutes, the longest Grand Slam final in history. I'm not trying to think too much advance. MELBOURNE, Australia -- Novak Djokovic was so good, so relentless, so pretty much perfect that Rafael Nadal never stood a chance. If tonight's match is anything like that game, we're in for a treat! “I've said it before: the tennis court is a place where I'm naked, where I'm exposed to my both extremes in terms of emotions and character. Then there's this tidbit: Djokovic, 31, is the only man in tennis history to have a trio of three-straight-Slam streaks. In winning the US Open, Nadal moved to within one Grand Slam of Roger Federer's record 20 major titles, leaving Djokovic trailing with 16. Five things we learned from the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka rallies as Petra Kvitova gets emotional talking about attack, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Last year Djokovic departed the Australian Open after a fourth-round defeat and immediately had right elbow surgery after months of problems. The Serb's Grand Slam record stands at 14, and the Spaniard has 17 majors to his name. Djokovic raised his right fist and held it there while staring at his guest box. Nadal's blazing Rome return makes the world feel a little more normal 2 days, 9 hours ago Novak Djokovic gets back on the winning track in Rome 2 days, 16 hours ago This was the 53rd installment of a showdown between Djokovic and Nadal and the Serb now leads their career meetings 28-25. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal to win his seventh Australian Open and third consecutive Grand Slam title. Prior to this victory, Djokovic was tied with Roger Federer and Roy Emerson with six Australian titles. That gave Djokovic one more break of Nadal than the zero that the Spaniard's five preceding opponents had managed. Of most significance, Nadal was broken the very first time he served Sunday. None whatsoever. What I need is time and more matches.". Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? He surprised even himself with the way he recovered after problems with his right elbow derailed him. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. He tried to come back at the start of 2018 but was hampered by the elbow and lost in the fourth round in Melbourne.