Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in Astana Open final to win his 90th career ATP title and reach his sixth consecutive grand masters finals
By David Roper
As a young man of 22, I had a few thoughts about Novak Djokovic, his game, his career and his approach to the sport. I was thinking I might enjoy beating him and I was also not sure if he would ever lose to me.
But as I came to appreciate Roger Federer’s game and the genius of his footwork, I was able to let go of those thoughts. The way he attacked the court, as it were.
So you see in the world of sport, there are people who do win tennis matches and who have a short career. And there are other people who do not.
Novak Djokovic has just done it all, and his career has been a roller coaster ride.
You have your golden weeks and the lows but at the same time, you have your good times and your great times as well.
Djokovic needed to win his first two grand slam finals to reach his first major final and his first semi-final in Paris. He beat Andy Murray’s brother and four-time grand slam champion Murray in the final of the Australian Open. Then he had his great time on the grass courts of Key Biscayne in Miami, winning the Miami slam.
He knocked off Roger Federer in the final of the US Open, then got his revenge in the final in London. He beat Milos Raonic to reach his first Grand Slam final in Paris, where he also lost to Novak Djokovic. Then he broke the British Open duck when he lost in the fourth round to Andy Murray, who also won the title.
So in 2015, Federer had been winning one title every six months until he won the US Open in September, the Australian Open in January and the French Open in July.
Then Djokovic