Serbian Novak Djokovic has claimed his fourth title of the season after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 in the final of the Astana Open there in Kazakhstan. The win came just a week after he defeated Marin Cilic to win the Tel Aviv Open. The Astana Open title also marked Djokovic’s 90th ATP title.
Djokovic’s 2022 season may not be what he had hoped for, but he has been able to score some wins and broken some records in the process, as he is just two short of surpassing Rafael Nadal (92) on the list of active players with the most ATP Titles.
Tsitsipas has now gone to nine finals without any wins. The Greek player has not been on luck’s side this season as he is yet to record any victories, although he has been in nine finals. He might have to wait till next year to win an ATP 500 title.
Speaking after the match, an excited Djokovic said: “I’m just very grateful and blessed to be able to play this well at this stage of my life.”
“I’m just very grateful and blessed to be able to play this well at this stage of my life. You know, 35 is not 25.
“But I think the experience, probably, in these kinds of matches and big occasions helps as well to approach mentally in the right way.
When asked if he ever thought he would reach 90 ATP titles, he said: “I dared to dream, actually. I always hoped that I would be going to have a great career.
“Obviously, I didn’t know the amount of finals I was going to play, the amount of tournaments I was going to win, but my intention was always to reach the highest heights in our sport.”
The start of the season was rough, but the Wimbledon winner has been able to prove in his last few games that he still can still go on winning titles if he wants.
Leon Osamor