Novak Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam men’s title by using all of his talent and nous to see off Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Serbia’s Djokovic started strongly and dug deep in the second set on his way to a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) victory.
The 35-year-old, who draws level with Rafael Nadal in major wins, will return to the world number one ranking.
Greece’s Tsitsipas, 24, continues his wait for a first Grand Slam triumph.
Tsitsipas lost to Djokovic in his first major final at the 2021 French Open after relinquishing a two-set lead but, this time in Melbourne, he was always chasing the match.
In the few precious opportunities he had to threaten Djokovic – notably a set point to level the match at one set all – the third seed was unable to take them.
Djokovic has not lost at Melbourne Park since 2018 – a streak spanning a record 28 matches in the men’s singles.
He has regained the crown which he was unable to defend last year after being deported from Australia following a row over his Covid-19 vaccination status.
Tsitsipas showed resilience to save two championship points but Djokovic took his third chance – this time on his own serve – when his opponent hit a return long.
Djokovic turned to his team and family members – including mother Dijana, although father Srdjan did not appear to be present – standing motionless before pointing to his head and his heart.
After climbing into the box to celebrate with them, he broke into tears as the magnitude of his achievement hit him and continued sobbing under his towel when he returned to his chair.
Masterful Djokovic shows why he’s one of the greatest
In the build-up to Sunday’s final, Djokovic said he did not feel any different “in terms of stress” as he aimed to create more history and move closer to cementing his place as the greatest player of all time.
While such a title remains subjective and a topic for debate, the defining factor remains the number of major titles.
He will get to 28 slams 😂 easy 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 29, 2023