Novak Djokovic

Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status.

The tournament begins in Melbourne on 17 January.

"I've spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I'm heading down under with an exemption permission," the 34-year-old said on Instagram on Tuesday. "Let's go 2022.

"I am ready to live and breathe tennis in the next few weeks of competition."

Djokovic, who finished the year as number one for a record seventh time, won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon while he fell short at the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open final in his quest for a rare golden slam.

The Serb was tied with American great Pete Sampras on six wins for the title first awarded in 1978.

Barty, who won her first Wimbledon title this year and a bronze medal at the Olympics in mixed doubles, previously won the award in 2019.

The state of Victoria, where the Grand Slam event takes place in Melbourne, has introduced a vaccine mandate for professional athletes, although authorities have not yet clarified what the requirement will be for those coming from abroad.

"Things beings as they are, I still don't know if I will go to Melbourne, Djokovic said.

"I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.

Djokovic has won the season's opening Grand Slam a record nine times, including the last three editions.

Medvedev, playing in his third major final, at last hoisted a Grand Slam trophy while avenging a straight sets defeat by Djokovic earlier this year in the Australian Open final.

The Serb was trying to become the first man in over a half-century to win all four majors (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) in the same year.

For the fifth consecutive match, Djokovic found himself in an early hole after dropping the first set.

Djokovic moved within one win of reaching a men's record 21 Grand Slam titles and avenged his loss to Zverev at the Tokyo Olympics in front of a roaring crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Rod Laver sitting in the front row, 52 years after he achieved the feat, the last man to do so.

"There's only one match left. All in, all in. Let's do it," Djokovic said.

"I'm going to put my heart and my soul and my body and my head into that one. I'm going to treat the next match like it is the last match of my career."

Top seed Djokovic, 34, was in deep trouble before rediscovering his energy to win 6-7 (6-8) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.

The Serb's greater experience shone through as fifth seed Tsitsipas wilted in his first Grand Slam final.

The victory moves Djokovic one major title behind the men's record jointly held by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Having beaten Nadal in an epic semi-final on Friday, he said: "It has been an unforgettable few moments for me in my life and my career. I will definitely remember these last 48 hours in my life."

Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 14th French Open title, won the first five games of the match as he looked on course to repeat his drubbing of the Serb in last year's final.

But world number one Djokovic seized the momentum, winning the second set and then edging a pulsating 97-minute third set on a tiebreak, having saved a set point.

The soccer-style atmosphere created by a crowd of around 5,000 inside Court Philippe Chatrier reached a crescendo towards the end of the third as the Paris COVID-19 curfew loomed.

The 30-year-old Evans emerged triumphant in the pair's first meeting to end the Serb's perfect 10-0 start in 2021.

Djokovic struggled to find any kind of rhythm on a windy day at the ATP Masters 1000 event and committed 45 unforced errors during the two sets, more than double of Evans.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Evans said in his courtside interview. "I couldn't quite believe the last ball went over the net. It nearly didn't.

Djokovic is in his 311th week in the top spot, one more than Federer has spent there.

“Big day today,” Djokovic tweeted Monday.

The 33-year-old from Serbia first reached No. 1 on July 4, 2011, a day after he won Wimbledon for the first time by beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the final. Djokovic's ascent represented the first time in nearly 7 1/2 years that a man other than Federer or Nadal was No. 1.

Djokovic's ninth Australian Open title last month guaranteed that he would surpass Federer's record next week.

Having reached another milestone in his illustrious career, Djokovic had said he would look to adjust his calendar and make overhauling Federer and Rafa Nadal's joint-record of 20 Grand Slam titles his top priority.

This is Djokovic's fifth stint atop the world rankings. The 33-year-old reclaimed the top spot from Nadal in February last year and finished as the year-end number one for the sixth time - tying the record set by American great Pete Sampras.