Kubler-Hijikata make Australia proud; anxiety beats Tsitsipas in the 2023 Australian Open final

After he beat Lehecka in three straight sets, Jim Courier asked Tsitsipas in the post-match interview, how could he manage to get out of that 0:40 hole?

Tsitsipas answered: (It was)

'Experience and the Spartan spirit.'

But did the younger Tsitsipas have enough experience to have some chance of actually beating Djokovic, rather than completely buckling under the pressure of trying to win for the first time a Grand Slam against the then 21-time Grand Slam champion before the final.

For the enormity of the anxiety factor plaguing any challenger who tries to beat Djokovic for the first time in a Grand Slam cannot be overestimated and eventually it sabotaged Tsitsipas' game.

https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=22316

None of this should take any credit away from Djokovic's extraordinary achievement in claiming the Australian Open crown for the tenth time in 2023 under difficult circumstances.

But there is some good news for those who want to see more vigorous challenge to the dominance of a single player at the pinnacle of tennis.

Djokovic cannot grow much further in his tennis game at the age of 35 – he already seems to have reached a kind of all-round near perfection.

But his challengers, with the average age of 25 in the Australian Open, continue growing and are going rapidly from strength to strength.

It may not be long before their drought against Djokovic in Grand Slams will break.

The previous world number one, the young Carlos Alkaraz, already broke such drought once and he, for one, is working hard on having many happy returns.