Aiming for his first Grand Slam and tenth trophy of his career, oh Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Australian Open, he will face the “king of the courts” Novak Djokovic, with whom he has a long history, while the Serb is also preparing to set a record if he wins this match against the Greek tennis player.

The final will take place on Sunday at 10:30 Greek time and will be the 13th meeting between the two rivals in the ATP tournament. Statistics from previous games show Djokovic as the favourite, as he defeated Tsitsipas 10 of the 12 times they met.

Shortly before his 25th birthday, Stefanos Tsitsipas says he really wants to win: “I love the number 1. These are the moments that I work hard for, like the Grand Slam final. I’m fighting to get to #1. My dream is to be there one day. I am glad that this opportunity presented itself to me in Australia. We just have to do it,” he said of the prospect of reaching the top of the ATP world rankings for the first time, a feat that would be mathematically secured on Sunday if he could only beat Djokovic on the court.

This is Tsitsipas’ second appearance in such a final since Roland Garros in 2021, when he lost 3-2 to Novak Djokovic, whom he is now facing again.

If the Serbian wins, he will set another record by winning the 10th Australian Open of his career.

As a rule, Tsitsipas now ranks 4th in the world, and Djokovic is 5th. Both look to the pinnacle that the finale will provide.

Djokovic: I respect Tsitsipas

“Winning Grand Slams and No. 1 in the world are probably the two biggest peaks you can climb as a professional tennis player. Let’s see what happens,” commented Djokovic, who says he has “a lot of respect for Tsitsipas.” “He has gotten better over the years. I really think he’s one of the most interesting guys off the pitch, he’s got a lot of interests, his hair and all, but on Sunday it’s Job for both of us. May the best player win,” added Djokovic, who has risen to number one at the end of the season seven times, spending 373 weeks at world number one in his career – more than anyone else in history.

From the paved courts of Vouliagmeni to the sacred grounds of the Rod Laver Arena. pic.twitter.com/8zgoNxG9e3

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) January 27, 2023

Tsitsipas became the youngest male tennis player since 2006 to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open three times in a row. The first to do this was “king” Roger Federer, for three years 2004 – 2006, at the age of 24 years. Since then, no one under the age of 25 has been able to achieve this, and the Greek champion has broken this record.

When asked what reaching the final means to him, he commented: “A few years ago I saw Marcos Pagdatis trying to get to the final. What I dreamed about since childhood. It’s great that the best in the world are playing against me. I am happy that I can play tennis at this level. For many years it has been my desire to put Greek tennis on the map of the world. I know this doesn’t mean much to the Australians who release players all the time, but coming from a small country like Greece, I feel so grateful for this support. I never expected to be treated so well here. So let’s see what happens in the final.”

Before Djokovic’s qualification, Tsitsipas was asked if he favors his opponent: “Djokovic won the Australian Open nine times, and on the other hand, there is a tennis player of my generation with whom I played many times in juniors. It’s great to see him climb so high in the semi-finals. I want to prepare my body and properly prepare for the big day.”

Finally, on the “big day” a great rival will be waiting for him. Continuation on the court.