There are few things in the history of professional sport as painful as facing Novak Djokovic at prime time on Rod Laver Arena.
Inside the stadium he has made his own, Djokovic suffocates all challengers on return yet simultaneously serves them off the court. He smothers foes with his baseline aggression yet his defence makes the court feel so narrow. Over the past 15 years, no rival has been spared.
An emotional Novak Djokovic resumed his reign over Melbourne Park by winning a record-extending 10th Australian Open title on yesterday and crushing the Grand Slam dream of Greek trailblazer Stefanos Tsitsipas in a one-sided final.
In a rematch of the 2021 French Open decider, Djokovic swept to a 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(5) victory at Rod Laver Arena to reclaim the world number one ranking and again deny Tsitsipas a maiden major crown.