Seven times Novak Djokovic had trailed his opponent two sets to one in a Grand Slam final, and all seven times Djokovic had lost.

But on Sunday against Dominic Thiem, Djokovic rallied from that deficit for the first time to win his eighth Australian Open title and 17^th major championship.

The 32-year-old Serbian moved to within two major titles of Rafael Nadal (19) and three of all-time leader Roger Federer (20). After the comeback win, Djokovic reflected on the root of his mental strength and what helped him achieve the career-first comeback.

“We all grew up in different circumstances, different countries, different upbringing. My upbringing was in Serbia during several wars during the ’90s, difficult time, an embargo in our country where we had to wait in line for bread, milk, water, some basic things in life. These kind of things make you stronger and hungrier for success I think in whatever you choose to do,” Djokovic said.

“That probably has been my foundation, the very fact that I came from literally nothing and difficult life circumstances together with my family and with my people. Going back to that, reminding myself where I came from always inspires me, motivates me to push even harder.

“That’s probably one of the reasons why I managed to find that extra gear, the mental strength to overcome challenges when they present themselves.”

Djokovic has made a career of overcoming challenges, especially in the big moments. He is now 17-9 in Grand Slam finals and will begin his fifth stint — and 276th week — at No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.

If he maintains that place throughout 2020, Djokovic is projected to pass childhood idol Pete Sampras (286 weeks at No. 1) on 20 April and Federer (310 weeks) on 5 October to set a new all-time record for most weeks at No. 1.

“Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I am still competing and still playing a full season, trying to obviously get the historic No. 1. That’s the other big goal. I put myself in this position that is really good at the moment. I’m super happy with the way I started the season. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the year,” Djokovic said.

“I’ve had that privilege to win this big tournament for eight times. To start off the season with a Grand Slam win significantly boosts your confidence and your expectations are quite high for the rest of the season. But whatever happens, this season is already successful.”

It was a “turbulent” final, Djokovic said, one unlike any other he’s experienced because of the comeback but also because of his mid-match dip that Thiem seized upon to lead two sets to one.

“After I lost the second set, I start to feel really bad on the court. My energy dropped significantly. To be honest, I don’t still understand the reason why that has happened because I’ve been doing the things that I’ve been doing before all of my matches. I was hydrated well and everything. Apparently doctor said I wasn’t hydrated enough,” Djokovic said.

“[I] regained my energy and strength midway in the fourth set and got back into the match. I was on the brink of losing the match. Dominic is a fantastic tennis player that plays with tremendous amount of power in his shots, especially from the forehand side. He uses his slice really well. He disrupted my rhythm in my game at one point. He was a better player.”

But in the fourth and fifth sets, Djokovic relied on a rarely used but much improved part of his game – serving and volleying – to lead for good.

“Probably one point and one shot separated us tonight. Could have gone a different way. I served and volleyed when I was facing a break point in the fourth and in the fifth. It worked both of the times. It could have also been different. Serve and volley is not something I’m accustomed to. I’m not really doing that that often,” Djokovic said.

“I kind of recognised that as an important tactic in those circumstances, and I’m really happy it worked.”

Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have continued to evolve and improve throughout their historic careers. And, just as Federer and Nadal are thinking, Djokovic also has his mind set on even more improvement. After a bit of rest, one of the most mentally strong players in history will be eager to get back to the practice court and start to repeat the cycle: improve, win more trophies, improve, win more trophies.

“What I can do to still improve? There are many things on the tennis court that I can still improve. That excites me and motivates me to go day in, day out with my commitments, with my practice sessions, because there’s always something to work on, there are always more trophies to win,” Djokovic said.

Did you know?
Djokovic became the first man in the Open Era (since April 1968) to win a Grand Slam title in three different decades. Ken Rosewall also accomplished the feat in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

Dominic Thiem has fallen short against Rafael Nadal in two Roland Garros finals and on Sunday he lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets with the Australian Open trophy at stake. The Austrian is still pursuing Grand Slam glory, but there’s certainly no shame in whom he’s lost to.

“These guys brought tennis to a complete new level. They also brought me probably to a much better level,” Thiem said. “It was easier for sure in a different era to win big titles, that’s 100 per cent. But I’m happy I can compete with these guys on the best level. I really also hope that I win my maiden Slam when they’re still around, because it just counts more.”

Thiem has been getting closer. At 2018 Roland Garros, Thiem didn’t win a set against Nadal. Last year in Paris, the Spaniard beat him in four. And in Melbourne, Thiem was up two sets to one before ultimately succumbing to Djokovic.

Nobody has won more Grand Slam titles without a championship loss than Nadal at Roland Garros (12-0), and eight-time champion Djokovic has never lost after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open (16-0). If winning a major isn’t difficult enough, those are the sky-high hurdles Thiem has faced to take that last step.

“It’s unique in sports history that the three best players by far are playing in the same era. That’s what makes it very, very difficult for other players to break through,” Thiem said of the Big Three, which also includes 20-time Slam winner Roger Federer. “As a different player than them, you have to beat at least two of them to win a big title. Almost all players [have] failed to do that. That’s what makes it so tough.”

It’s not that Thiem’s level is not high enough to beat the Big Three. In fact, the Austrian had won four of his previous five ATP Head2Head meetings against Djokovic entering Sunday’s clash, and he defeated Nadal in the quarter-finals. Thiem has the firepower to beat anyone on the ATP Tour on any day.

Read More From The Aussie Open Final
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Novak Pays Tribute To Kobe Bryant, Bushfire Victims

But defeating those legends in a best-of-five sets final is a different beast. Then you throw in potentially having to beat more than one member of the Big Three to lift a Grand Slam trophy. It’s like spending several hours and giving everything you have to defeat one superhero, only for another one to come flying in.

Thiem was trying to become just the second player (Wawrinka, 2014 Australian Open) to beat Djokovic and Nadal at the same major.

“In the last two sets, I definitely gave everything I had. Novak is part of three guys who are by far the best players ever who played tennis. If you play a Grand Slam final against him, it’s always going to be a match where very small details are deciding [it],” Thiem said. “Maybe I could have converted the break point in the fourth set where I could have the 2-1 lead… Of course, there were some small mistakes here and there, but they’re happening. At the end it was a super close five-setter. I don’t really regret anything.”

Djokovic serve and volleyed only eight times in his first six matches of the tournament. Yet facing break point at 1-1 in the fourth set, the Serbian did just that, hitting two crisp backhand volleys to snuff out Thiem’s opportunity. If the Austrian found a way to pass the 17-time Slam champion with his forehand off Djokovic’s initial volley, perhaps he’d be the first player to win his maiden major since Marin Cilic at the 2014 US Open.

But that’s what makes beating the Big Three in such huge matches so difficult. You can play sensational tennis for hours, but one missed opportunity is all it takes for them to capitalise.

“In the past two [major] finals — [at the] US Open and here — it was really close. It could have gone either way for Daniil in the US Open and for me here,” Thiem said, referencing Daniil Medvedev’s five-set loss against Nadal in Flushing Meadows last September. “It takes nothing more than just a little bit luck, little details there.” 

The Austrian also knows that even though he was unable to get across the finish line on Sunday, it took a tremendous effort to put himself one set away from the title in the first place. In the second round, he rallied from two sets to one down against Alex Bolt before finding his form to beat three Top 10 players: No. 10 Gael Monfils, top seed Nadal and 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev.

“[I am happy with] the way I kept my level, the way I kept my tension over all the two weeks. I didn’t have easy matches, especially from the quarters on,” Thiem said. “I’m very aware and sure now that I can play on a very high level for a full Grand Slam. Didn’t have any drops. That doesn’t make me proud, but it makes me very confident for the next big tournaments which are coming up.”

Even though Thiem is disappointed, saying, “I just feel a lot of emptiness right now”, the Austrian was able to put his defeat in perspective.

“I’d also like to say that I think we all saw before the tournament, also during, that what we are doing is by far, there are way more important things in life,” Thiem said on court after his loss. “It’s very tough what this beautiful country has been through, is still going through so I think that the Australian Open [was] a great distraction. But I still hope that Australia — it’s so beautiful, so amazing — all the people who were affected, the wildlife, the animals who were affected, that they are recovering very soon and that a disaster like this is never happening again.”

The busiest month of the 2020 ATP Tour calendar is upon us. Join Tennis TV to watch more than 300 matches, live and on demand.

Week 1: Open Sud de France, Cordoba Open, Tata Open Maharashtra
The action kicks off with an ATP 250 triple-header from 3 February. David Goffin, Stan Wawrinka and Denis Shapovalov are the big favourites at the Open Sud de France.

Meanwhile, Argentinian duo Diego Schwartzman and Guido Pella headline the Cordoba Open – the first clay-court tournament of 2020 – while Benoit Paire is the top seed at the Tata Open Maharashtra.

Week 2: ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, New York Open, Argentina Open
Join us live from 10 February for every singles match from the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament – the first ATP 500 of 2020. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and defending champion Gael Monfils star in the 47^th edition of the event.

Two ATP 250s – the New York Open and the Argentina Open – will also be available to stream live on Tennis TV during the same week. Aussie Nick Kyrgios features in the U.S. alongside home favourite John Isner, while two-time champion and Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem will be returning in Argentina.

Week 3: Rio Open presented by Claro, Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, Open 13 Provence
Another busy week begins with Rio’s showpiece ATP 500. From 17-23 February, watch all singles matches from the Rio Open presented by Claro, where Thiem and Matteo Berrettini are confirmed as the top seeds.

Tennis TV will also stream 18 live matches from the Delray Beach Open by Vitacost.com, where Kei Nishikori returns after injury. Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe also feature, alongside Australian Open quarter-finalist Milos Raonic.

Many rising stars feature at the Open 13 Provence. Two-time ATP Masters 1000 champion Medvedev is confirmed alongside World No. 6 Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov of Russia.

Week 4: Abierto Mexicano Telcel Presentado por HSBC, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Chile Dove Men+Care Open
The Abierto Mexicano Telcel Presentado Por HSBC is the first of two ATP 500 events this week. The spotlight will be on Rafael Nadal and 2019 runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Novak Djokovic will go for his fifth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, facing stiff competition from Roger Federer, who has won the tournament a record eight times. After meeting for the 50^th time in the Australian Open semi-finals, will the top two seeds meet again? Watch the best of their meetings in RIVALRIES.

The Chile Dove Men+Care Open will conclude Frantic February on Tennis TV, as Schwartzman and Borna Coric top the bill. Stream live from Santiago as Chile hosts its first ATP Tour tournament since 2014.

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Novak Djokovic made history on Sunday in Melbourne, extending his record to eight Australian Open titles and earning his way back to the No. 1 spot in the FedEx ATP Rankings with a five-set victory against Dominic Thiem. But in his on-court speech after his victory, the Serbian put his big win in perspective.

“There were some devastating things that started 2020 with huge bushfires here in Australia, conflicts in some parts of the world, people dying every day,” Djokovic said. “Obviously one person that I considered close in my life and was a mentor to me, Kobe Bryant, passed away as well with his daughter. I would just like to say that this is a reminder to all of us that we should stick together more than ever.

“Be with our families, stay close with the people that love you, that care about you. Of course we are part of a professional sport, we compete and we try our best but obviously there are more important things in life and it’s important to be conscious and humble about things that are happening around you.”

Bryant, a basketball superstar, passed away along with eight others in a helicopter crash in California on 26 January. On 25 January, Djokovic spoke to ESPN about the impact Bryant had on his life. The former NBA star advised the 17-time Grand Slam champion through some of his toughest moments in recent years.

Djokovic, who during the ATP Cup tweeted that he would donate $25,000 to aid bushfire relief, also was one of the players to participate in the Rally for Relief held on Rod Laver Arena before the start of the Australian Open. That event raised nearly AUD $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Thiem was understandably disappointed to not lift his first Grand Slam trophy. But the Austrian put his defeat in perspective.

“I think we all saw before the tournament, also during, that what we are doing is by far, there are way more important things in life,” Thiem said on court during his own speech. “It’s very tough what this beautiful country has been through, is still going through, so I think that the Australian Open [was] a great distraction, but I still hope that Australia, it’s so beautiful, so amazing. All the people who were affected, the wildlife, the animals who were affected, that they are recovering very soon and that a disaster like this is never happening again.”

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic leads fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4 on Sunday in the Australian Open final. If Djokovic captures his 17th Grand Slam championship crown he guarantees his return to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.

Thiem has won four of their past five ATP Head2Head meetings against Djokovic, who is appearing in his 26th major final (16-9). Thiem has finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019.

Go Inside The Final With Infosys MatchBeats

First Set
Second seed Djokovic settled quickly and immediately put Thiem under pressure in the Austrian’s first service game, which lasted seven minutes and ended with Thiem hitting a forehand into net. Thiem finally settled his early nerves with a hold for 1-3, but was unable to penetrate Djokovic’s serve, as the Serbian won 12 of 15 service points through three holds. As Djokovic continued to take away time from Thiem, the fifth seed dug deep and was handed his first break in seventh game because of a backhand error.

Djokovic didn’t appear to suffer because of the setback, although Thiem came up with a drive volley forehand volley to save a break point at 3-4. At 5-4, 30/30, Thiem’s technique on a low forehand approach let him down and handed Djokovic a first set point, which the Serbian defended hard for, but ultimately let slip with a forehand long. At the second time of asking, Djokovic landed a big blow, wrapping up the 53-minute opener when Thiem hit his first double fault. The Austrian had been taken to Deuce in all five of his service games.