Novak Djokovic remained an unbreakable force as he thrashed smashing young rival Daniil Medvedev to claim a record-extending ninth Australian Open title in straight sets, 7-5 6-2 6-2 on Sunday.
The world number one’s 7-5 6-2 6-2 triumph under the lights at Rod Laver Arena secured his 18th Grand Slam title, bringing him within tantalising reach of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s all-time record of 20. Much like Dominic Thiem in last year’s final, Djokovic faced an opponent desperate for success and his own seat at the Grand Slam table. Medvedev came in on a 20-match winning streak but other than a brief period in the first set, looked nowhere near Djokovic’s level. It’s the Serb’s third consecutive title at Melbourne Park and puts him on 18 grand slam wins, just two behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the all-time record. Djokovic will break the record for most weeks as world number one next month – one of the two goals he had set for himself before he retires. The other is the slams won record.
In the Women’s Singles Final, Naomi Osaka took her Grand Slam tally up to four on Saturday after she beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. Osaka also won the 2020 U.S. Open, giving her back-to-back major titles for the second time. She pulled off the same feat in the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open. The 23-year-old Japanese sensation held the advantage over Brady in almost every major statistical category in the championship match, including winners (16-15), aces (6-2) and break points converted (4-2). Brady was making her first appearance in a Grand Slam final.
