Novak Djokovic went from "persona non grata" to a nine-time Australian Open champion on Sunday, saying the challenges he faced during a roller-coaster month made the triumph that much sweeter.
The world No. 1 routed fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday for his 18th Grand Slam title, drawing closer to the career record of 20 currently shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic, the two-time defending champion, drew a lot of flak ahead of this year's first Grand Slam for petitioning Australian Open organizers to ease Australia's strict quarantine protocols for players, who were forced to isolate for two weeks before the tournament.