He had just won the longest (and arguably best) match in Grand Slam tennis history.
So what did Novak Djokovic find himself doing in the hours after his famous Australian Open triumph over Rafael Nadal? He watched highlights of the match, of course.
It was 5am and the Serbian player had finally made his way to his city hotel after the 1.37am completion of a five-hour, 53-minute epic against Nadal, the presentations (where organisers deftly found chairs for Nadal and his conquerer), a visit to the volunteers' party, and mandatory drug-testing.
Not surprisingly, he was spent.
''I really didn't have any strength left in me to celebrate,'' Djokovic said yesterday.
''But I could not sleep until 8[am]. I was back in the room, trying to lose my time until I had a feeling to sleep.
''My girlfriend was already in a deep sleep. I was just reading a book and actually, watching highlights.
''Can you imagine? I watched the highlights of the match! I didn't have enough of tennis so I had to see.''
He liked what he saw.
''It was actually quite a good match,'' he said, showing a penchant for understatement.
Actually Djokovic looked relatively fresh strolling around Melbourne Park in shorts and sports top yesterday.
He posed for photographs in front of a city fountain, and spoke to two groups of journalists.
Nadal had spoken after the match of feeling pleasure in the pain of playing such a long match, and Djokovic concurred.
''I'm a professional tennis player. I'm sure any other colleague, tennis player would say the same: 'We live for these matches. We work every day. We're trying to dedicate all our life to this sport to come to the situation where we play a six-hour match for a grand slam title','' he said.
The Serbian will have a fortnight off tennis before beginning preparations for the next major title, the French Open in May.
''I want to get my first final at least in Paris. I have never been in finals there and I have a feeling that I'm ready this year to achieve that,'' Djokovic said.
Meanwhile, Nadal accepted his defeat with grace and class, having departed Melbourne Park with a somewhat dubious and undeserving place in the record books.
The 25-year-old Majorcan is now the only man in the 45-year open era to lose three successive Grand Slam finals after his latest disappointment followed four-set defeats to Djokovic at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
But rather than dwell on his near miss, Nadal hailed Djokovic as a worthy champion and celebrated their gladiatorial showdown at Rod Laver Arena.
''I just accept,'' he said after the match. ''I think we played a great tennis match. It was, I think, a very good show.
''I enjoyed being part of this event and this match. That's the truth.
''Physically, it was the toughest match I ever played. I wanted to win, but I am happy about how I did. I had my chances against the best player of the world today.
''I never put him in this situation during [six losses in] 2011, all 2011, so that's another positive thing for me. I didn't have mental problems today against him. I had in 2011 all these mental problems.''
with AAP
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