Aging Djokovic sets new tennis record

Famous Serb wins record sixth ATP Finals title

Novak Djokovic beat Norway’s Kasper Ruud 7-5 6-3 to capture a record-breaking sixth ATP Finals title, earning the biggest prize in tennis history ($4,740,300) to finish the season undefeated.

Djokovic sealed the win in style with his ninth ace, claiming another title in front of an enthusiastic crowd for the first time since 2015.

“You have to stay focused the whole match, every game, set, momentum can switch sides very quickly,” the Serb said in a TV interview after the match.

“The fact that I’ve waited seven years makes this win all the sweeter,” he added as he matched Roger Federer’s record of six titles in the final event of the season.

The 23-year-old Ruud fought the 21-time tournament winner as best he could at the start of the game, but made two clumsy mistakes and gave Djokovic a break at the end of the first set.

From that point on, Djokovic stepped on the gas, using his powerful right hand to break Ruud in the fourth game of the second set.

The Norwegian threw everything he had into resisting the veteran in the penultimate draw, but the Wimbledon champion was simply too shrewd, outmanoeuvring his opponent in a marathon exchange and spreading his arms wide after winning the title.

OLDEST WINNER

Djokovic, 35, is the oldest player to win the title. Which didn’t come easy for him, given a grueling three-set thriller against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev en route to the semi-finals.

“It was not easy to recover and play really well in the semi-finals less than 24 hours after that match,” he told reporters.

“It’s an internal battle with yourself, because there is one voice that always tells you that you can’t do it, you are too tired, this and that, right? Bad guy and good guy. You’re trying to obey the good guy.”

Djokovic ends the season on a high note after a year of ups and downs.

He was unable to defend his title at the Australian Open in January 2022 as he was deported from the country after refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

His stance also meant he was banned from competing in the United States this year, including the last major tournament of the season, the US Open.

“I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks of rest because I’ve been really on pins and needles all year, whether it’s tournaments or waiting for permission to go somewhere, so I’m very happy that I was able to finish it positively,” said Djokovic, who July won the seventh Wimbledon title.