Who is this remarkable Serbian who just won his ninth of nine Australian Open finals? It’s Novak Djokovic, who, has an edge lifetime against both Nadal and Federer. Even though Novak lost his last three out of four against his opponent today, Daniil Medvedev, he beat him relatively easily in three sets.
Daniil had won 20 straight matches. Half of them had been against the top 10 including a win in the ATP finals against this remarkable Serbian tennis player. Today those recent victories meant little.
Djokovic is a complicated man. Although he’s fiercely competitive on the court, he has a remarkable sense of humor that we’ve seen frequently. It surfaced today in his speech at the award ceremony. When practice partners become key rivals, the partnering ends. Although Daniil had once been his frequent practicing partner, Novak said he hadn’t seen him lately on the practice court.
What Djokovic has done to this point is to set a new standard for champions in this sport. He is the man to beat alone at the top of the mountain.
Pilgrim on a Long, Long Journey 