How Djokovic win Australian Open to equal Nadal record

Novak Djokovic don win a record-extending 10th Australian Open plus one record wey equal 22nd Grand Slam men title as e crush di Grand Slam dream of Greek trailblazer Stefanos Tsitsipas for one-sided final.

Serbia Djokovic bin start strongly and dig deep for di second set on im way to a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) victory.

Di 35-year-old, wey draw level wit Rafael Nadal for major wins, go return to diworld number one ranking.

Greece Tsitsipas wey be 24-year-old go continue im wait for a first Grand Slam triumph.

"I gatz say dis don be one of di most challenging tournaments wey I don ever play for my life considering di circumstances, as I no play last year, coming back dis year," Djokovic tok.

"I try to pinch myself and really live through these moments. Na long journey. Only di team and di family sabi wetin we don go through in di last four or five weeks.

"I go say dis na probably di biggest victory of my life, considering those circumstances."

Tsitsipas lost to Djokovic for im first major final for di 2021 French Open afta e surrender a two-set lead but, dis time for Melbourne, e bin always dey chase di match.

Djokovic neva lose for Melbourne Park since 2018 - one streak wey span a record 28 matches for di men's singles.

E don regain di crown wey e no fit defend last year afta dem deport am from Australia afta one kasala sake of im Covid-19 vaccination status.

Tsitsipas bin show resilience to save two championship points but Djokovic take im third chance – dis time on im own serve - when im opponent hit a return long.

Djokovic bin turn to im team and family members - including mother Dijana, although father Srdjan no appear to dey present – as e stand motionless before e point to im head and his heart.

<>Masterful Djokovic show why e be one of di greatest

For di build-up to Sunbday final, Djokovic say in no feel any different "in terms of stress" as e aim to create more history and move closer to cementing im place as di greatest player of all time.

While such a title remain subjective and a topic for debate, di defining factor remain di  number of major titles.

Djokovic move level wit 36-year-old Nadal - and now only trail 24-time champion Margaret Court and Serena Williams, wey get 23, on the women's side - and don show in di past two weeks say e get di capacity to win many more.

Hamstring injury for Melbourne Park bin hinder am plus e gatz deal woit di controversy wey surround im father Srdjan, wey dey pictured for di tournament wit supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin before Friday semi-final against American Tommy Paul.

But time and time again e show patience to overcome difficult circumstances and produce for di biggest moments. Dis na di latest example.

How Djokovic regain top spot

Dem play di match for Rod Laver Arena - as thousands of Serbian and Greek fans gada for Melbourne Park.

Di two European kontris get large communities for di Australian city, and e add further emotion to di occasion wey mean so much to both players.

No be only di Grand Slam title dey on di line for Melbourne Park, but also di world number one ranking.

Djokovic victory ensure say e extend im own record of being di top-ranked player and e go dey there for a 374th week wen dem release di latest rankings on Monday.

Tsitsipas bin dey hope to fulfil im childhood dream by lifting di trophy and become di 29th player to be di number one since dem introduce di ATP rankings for 1973.

Instead e go rise to number three as Djokovic overtake Spanish 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, wey drop to number two afta e miss di tournament sake of injury.

For im on-court speech, Tsitsipas say: "I don get privilege to play a lot of difficult and high-intensity matches but I go like to say one more time Novak dey bring out di best in me. He be one of di greatest in our sport and e be di greatest wey don ever hold a tennis racquet for sure."