Adelaide International 2023: 'To be standing here is a gift' - Djokovic after hard-fought title conquest
Adelaide International 2023: Novak Djokovic overcame the challenge from Sebastian Korda to win the title in three sets. Meanwhile, he was honoured to win his maiden title in the city.
FollowFormer world number one and 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia began his 2023 Australian Open preparations by winning the title at the 2023 Adelaide International. Playing the final at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in the city, he saw off Sebastian Korda of the United States of America (USA) in a hard-fought encounter, winning in three sets, 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4. It is his 92nd tour-level title in a gruesome match that lasted three hours and nine minutes. He is now in a tie with Rafael Nadal of Spain about Open Era's fourth-most men's singles titles, behind Jimmy Connors (109), Roger Federer (103) and Ivan Lendl (94), besides winning 34 straight contests in the country since 2019, while also winning 23 from his last 24 career matches.
Djokovic was doubtful for this match after he received treatment on his left leg post his semi-final success over Daniil Medvedev of Russia on Saturday. However, his movement was swift and extraordinary, which saw an intense baseline exchange during the match's opening point. While the American was fearless and aggressive, allowing him to take the first set, the Serbian gave his all and his veteran experience to come out on top.
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After his title victory, Djokovic cited, "It's been an amazing week, and you guys made it even more special. For me, to be standing here is a gift. I gave it all today and throughout the week to get my hands on the trophy. The support I've been getting in the past ten days is something I don't think I've experienced too many times, so thank you so much [to] everyone for coming out every match."
Djokovic also hailed Korda's performance and mentioned, "Amazing tournament, amazing effort today. You were closer to victory today than I was. It was decided in one or two shots, one or two points. Tough luck today, but the future is bright for you, so keep going, and you're an amazing player. Well done."
