Djokovic may never feel the affections of the crowd savoured by Federer and Spaniard Rafael Nadal but his record of 16 Grand Slam titles is proof that tennis is no popularity contest.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Wednesday
World number one Novak Djokovic, bidding for a record-equalling sixth title at the event, is in the Tokyo group with Russian Daniil Medvedev, Germany's Alexander Zverev and Argentine first-time Diego Schwartzman.
Roger Federer savoured the latest chapter of a late-career fairytale that delivered a sixth Australian Open crown on Sunday and a very 'special' 20th Grand Slam title.
Ukrainian Svitolina came into the match riding high on a nine-match winning streak from the start of the season but, hampered by a hip injury, was completely outplayed by the aggressive Belgian on Rod Laver Arena.
With colours resembling famous candies and lolly brands, Nike splashed bright hues to drive sales to younger fans
"I told my coach before the match and yesterday that I was mentally completely dead and no battery," he told reporters.
After booking a much-anticipated semi-final with his Australian Open title usurper Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic wasted little time reminding the Swiss of the heavy burden of being defending champion.
Venus Williams blamed an injury time-out by Madison Keys for robbing her of rhythm
Eugenie Bouchard was unable to match the semi-final appearance from her maiden Australian Open last year and will now focus on sorting out her coaching arrangements after being blasted off the court by Maria Sharapova on Tuesday.
Grigor Dimitrov reached his first grand slam quarter-final in over two years on Monday by defeating an injury-hampered Denis Istomin 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-1 to end the Uzbek wildcard's fairytale run at the Australian Open.
There was not an ounce of bitterness as Osaka accepted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from Asia's first Grand Slam champion Li Na
Petra Kvitova was proud of her second-set fightback against Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open final, on Saturday, but was left ruing her inability to convert her chances in her loss to the Japanese.
Tsitsipas was left searching for answers to explain the pounding at the hands of Nadal
"It's kind of hard to say because she -- there's nothing I did wrong on those match points," Williams told reporters after her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title ended.
Angelique Kerber said her dreams came true in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday when she upset defending champion Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win the Australian Open.
Britain's Johanna Konta has learned much from matches against Grand Slam champions and former world number ones over the last 18 months but on Wednesday her education will be complete when she faces Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Gilles Simon will carry the distinction of being the first man to prise a set off Novak Djokovic at this year's Australian Open but the lion-hearted Frenchman was crushed after going down in a five-set classic on Sunday.
Former champion Maria Sharapova found inspiration in a change of dress to put away unseeded American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-0 at the Australian Open on Friday and set up an intriguing fourth round match with rising Swiss talent Belinda Bencic.
Former golden girl Eugenie Bouchard's hopes of rehabilitation at the Australian Open came to a swift end on Wednesday as wily Agnieszka Radwanska sent the Canadian spinning out of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in the second round.
Andy Murray took to Melbourne Park's centre court as top seed at a grand slam for the first time in his career on Monday but the recently knighted Briton's victory over Illya Marchenko was far from a regal display.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov kept cool in the Rod Laver Arena maelstrom to knock home favourite Nick Kyrgios out of the Australian Open in a fourth-round thriller on Sunday.
Relief was at hand, however, with a cool change blowing over the city and the temperature expected to fall back below 30 by the evening.
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2021 Australian Open
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Saturday.
IMAGES from Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Friday
Dominic Thiem will clash with Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final of the Australian Open. The Austrian made the title round with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(4) victory Germany's Alexander Zverev in the second semi-final at Melbourne Park on Friday. Djokovic beat great rival Roger Federer 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3 in the first semi-final on Thursday.
Nadal always looked like the most likely winner once he got his nose back in front.
Serena Williams outplayed Maria Sharapova to claim the 2015 Australian Open championship in straight sets on Saturday.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic eased his way into the Australian Open semi-finals, brushing aside Canada's Milos Raonic with a 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 victory.
A relieved Rafael Nadal felt the confidence come flooding back in a first-round romp at the Australian Open on Monday.
Novak Djokovic pronounced himself fit and raring to go in search of his fifth Australian Open title on Sunday after overcoming a bout of illness that had prompted social media users to suggest he was in doubt for the tournament.
Swiss great Roger Federer insists he will end his career this week with no regrets even though his record of 20 Grand Slam titles was overhauled by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal's hopes of a 15th Grand Slam title were crushed by an inspired Roger Federer in the Australian Open final on Sunday but the rejuvenated Spaniard was already rubbing his hands together with the prospect of a 'special' season on clay.
Venus Williams drew on the experience of 73 grand slam campaigns to come from a set down for a 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3 victory over fellow American Coco Vandeweghe on Thursday to set up a possible Australian Open final against her sister Serena.
Former champion Stan Wawrinka engaged in a war of words with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before winning the only argument that mattered on Tuesday, storming into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-3 win over the Frenchman.
Rafael Nadal held off a fierce challenge from one of the hottest prospects in the game when he outlasted German teenager Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open.
A deflated Novak Djokovic blamed a bad day at the office for his stunning second-round elimination by Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin which condemned the Serb to his earliest grand slam exit in nearly a decade.
Andy Murray looked every bit the world number one as he gave a Russian teenager Andrey Rublev a lesson in Grand Slam tennis to reach the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 win.
World number one Angelique Kerber got the birthday gift she wanted Wednesday by making the Australian Open third round, but she had to work hard against fellow German Carina Witthoeft.
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