NOVAK DJOKOVIC swept to a 10th Australian Open title and 22nd grand slam today to equal Spaniard Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time standings.

A year after seeing Nadal pull ahead while the Serbian tried to process the fall-out from his deportation, Djokovic has been determined to show that Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena is his stage.

He dropped just one set all tournament, despite saying he feared a left hamstring problem might force him to withdraw, and finished with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over first-time Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

Djokovic also reclaims the world number-one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz, and it would be very difficult to argue that he does not justify that position, having once again put the younger generations in their place. His status down under, meanwhile, is unmatched, with the 35-year-old winning a 28th consecutive Australian Open match and a 41st in a row in the country as a whole.

There are large Greek and Serbian communities in Melbourne, and the atmosphere was reminiscent of a football match, with fans decked in their country’s colours and umpire Louise Azemar Engzell constantly appealing for quiet during points.

Both men received raucous welcomes, but the reception for Djokovic was just a little bit louder, and his fans soon had plenty to cheer. The 35-year-old, sometimes a slow starter, looked  sharp from the off, forcing Tsitsipas to save two break points in his opening service game and then breaking to lead 3-1.

The 24-year-old barely landed a glove on his opponent during Djokovic’s service games, with the first set whizzing by, but Tsitsipas got a foothold in the match early in the second set, serving with more authority and finding greater depth and penetration on his groundstrokes, although still reluctant to venture to the net.

Djokovic no longer looked quite so sure of himself, gesticulating frequently to his box, which was again without father Srdjan, who opted to stay away from Melbourne Park for another match after being filmed with pro-Russia activists last week — inadvertently, the family insisted. The Serbian took a heavy tumble in the seventh game, and at 4-5 missed a routine backhand to give Tsitsipas a set point. The Greek was unable to seize his opportunity, though, and soon he was two sets down after an error-strewn tie-break.

Tsitsipas was again too charitable at the start of the third set, finally breaking serve only to hand the advantage straight back. He was at least able to repel Djokovic’s pressure to force a second tie-break only to find himself 5-0 down. He battled back with some of his best tennis of the match — but a forehand that just caught the line was enough for Djokovic to clinch his second match point.

On Saturday Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus clinched her first grand slam title, fighting back from a set down to defeat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazkhstan in a terrific Australian Open final.

In a battle of two of the biggest hitters in the women’s game, Sabalenka seized the initiative after dropping the opening set to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

A year ago, Sabalenka was out of the tournament in the fourth round having served 56 double faults, and the 24-year-old’s success comes after she remodelled her service action and learned to embrace a calmer mindset. She went into the match having won all 20 sets she had played in 2023 — but this was a battle she had to win the hard way, maintaining control amid an ultra-aggressive approach that eventually broke down Rybakina.

The Moscow-born Kazakh fought all the way and Sabalenka needed four match points to claim a tense final game, with her serve holding up to the finish line despite a double fault on her first chance to clinch it.

The Belarusian becomes tennis’s first grand slam singles champion playing under a neutral flag, but asked if her achievement would be celebrated in her homeland, she said: “I think so. I think people are proud of me.”

Sabalenka would be one of the favourites for the Wimbledon title if she is allowed to play, and her success here will be another element for organisers to consider as they decide whether to maintain their ban.