The Final Quotes: Djokovic makes history in Melbourne

It's been a wild ride to the final day of the Australian Open where Novak Djokovic raised his ninth Australian Open title after a clinical 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over Daniil Medvedev. Along the way, the two men entertained on and off the court.

These are their best, or at least most memorable, quotes from the fortnight.

1

Djokovic on his Australian Open title haul:

"Each one is different. It's hard to compare. But it has been definitely emotionally the most challenging Grand Slams that I ever had with everything that was happening, injury, off-the-court stuff, quarantines. It has been, least to say, a roller-coaster ride in the last four weeks.

"Of course I'm not the only one that has experienced that, talking about quarantine. I can't complain."

2

Medvedev on his final loss:

"I felt like I'm doing my best, but it's not there. It happens. This is also life. That's why, you know, I always say that after I finish my career, no matter 20 Slams, one slam, zero slams, if I always try -- of course, you cannot be 365 days in a year at your best, but if I try to do my best, that's why I became more professional a few years ago."

3

Djokovic on dealing with criticism:

"Yeah, of course it hurts. I'm a human being like yourself, like anybody else. I have emotions. I don't enjoy when somebody attacks me in the media openly and stuff. Of course, I cannot say I don't care about it or whatever. Of course, it does. I have to be honest."

4

Medvedev on practicing with Djokovic seven years ago in Monaco:

"I come there, also hearing stories in the media that Novak is not a nice guy, all this. He was late. That's the only bad thing I remember, that he was late. He was super nice to me..."

"After we had some other stories where he took me on a private jet to Serbia on Davis Cup. Still I was just two weeks in the Top 100 or something like this. Yeah, he was always really nice to me."

5

Djokovic on the traditional championship-winning champagne toast:

"I don't like champagne. Someone asked me about champagne."

6

Medvedev on Djokovic:

"When Novak says he's not gonna hand anything to somebody, I believe him. I'm not gonna say I don't trust him. I trust him. So I know that to beat him you need to just show your best tennis, be at your best physically maybe four or five hours, and be at your best mentally maybe for five hours."