Photo: Christopher Johnson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped. This adapted image is also licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.
Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open for a record-extending tenth time, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in Melbourne to equal Rafael Nadal's men's record of 22 Grand Slam titles.
Sunday's win, on January 29, also takes Djokovic back to world No. 1. He is only the second man to win ten titles at a single major, after Nadal at the French Open, and he has now won 28 matches in a row at Melbourne Park, an Open Era record for the tournament (Wikipedia).
Tsitsipas, the youngest men's finalist here since Djokovic himself in 2011, pushed hard in both tie-breaks. Djokovic won them both.
Djokovic has eaten a mainly plant-based diet for years, though he sometimes eats fish. He has described himself as plant-based rather than vegan. Three years ago, after his semi-final at this same tournament, he told reporters how much it meant to him to prove the doubters wrong (VegNews):
I'm very pleased to be plant-based and play at this level. There's been a lot of criticism. People around me didn't really think that I could do that. There was a lot of doubt and a lot of question marks.
He went on to say he hoped he could "inspire other athletes that it is possible to be plant-based."
Melbourne has been good to him. We covered his record seventh title in 2019 and his eighth in 2020. Just two months ago he won the ATP Finals to equal Federer's record of six titles.
Twenty-two majors, mostly powered by plants.