Best reactions and memes from the 2023 Australian Open - ft. Rafael Nadal's missing racquet and Novak Djokovic's title defense vow

From Novak Djokovic winning the Australian Open title for the tenth time to Aryna Sabalenka clinching her first Grand Slam title, the 2023 Australian Open came with boundless variety and endless entertainment. The Melbourne Major has long been known to deliver not just in terms of the quality of tennis, but also its entertainment value, and 2023 was no different.

Tennis fans were kept entertained not only by the drama on the tennis court, but also by the hilarious incidents and interpretations of them posted on social media. Here's a round-up of the best memes and reactions from the 2023 Australian Open:

#9 Bad lip reading

Of the event's numerous highlights was the unmissable match between three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and home hope Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the tournament.

Going down in history as the second longest match ever played at the Australian Open, the clash had its fair share of drama. One comedian compiled the most entertaining moments from the fixture to form a hilariously creative lip reading.

The individual created a similar video for the final match between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

#8 The match that went past 4 am

Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis' match on Day 4 exceeded not only expectations but also the time schedule. The high-quality encounter, contested on the Margaret Court arena, reached its conclusion after the clock had already crossed 4 am.

With Jannik Sinner set for the opening fixture on Day 5 against Marton Fucsovics on the court, tennis fans couldn't help but find humor in the organizers' blunder.

#7 Jelena Ostapenko's hawk eye drama; Alison Riske-Amritraj's dispute with the chair umpire

2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko was impressed with the automatic calls made by the hawk eye. Tennis fans were nettled by the Latvian player and took digs at her for challenging numerous calls and questioning the device's accuracy throughout the tournament.

One fan came up with a comedic take and combined it with Alison Riske-Amritraj's highly animated argument with the chair umpire, which took place after the umpire made a bad call during a doubles fixture at the tournament.

"How a conversation between Ostapenko and Hawkeye would go," the individual titled it.

#6 The Netflix curse

A myth or the gospel truth, the Netflix curse was a hot topic of conversation throughout the Australian Open.

Netflix released a tennis documentary series titled "Break Point" a few days ahead of the Australian Open. The series featured Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Matteo Berrettini, Ajla Tomljanovic, Taylor Fritz, Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime - none of whom made it past the fourth round of the Australian Open, with many pulling out of the event.

Tennis fans thus joked about how tennis players would react if they were to be shortlisted for a future season.

#5 Danielle Collins celebrates victory too early

2022 Australian runner-up Danielle Collins was involved in an unexpected fiasco during her second-round clash against Karolina Muchova. The American tennis player seemed to be in a rush to conclude the clash in her favor.

Danielle Collins, who was contesting the third-set super tie-break, forgot the rules of the decider and celebrated after scoring seven points in the ten-point tie-breaker. While the 29-year-old eventually closed out the encounter with a victory, her meme-worthy incident got the recognition it deserved.

One individual poked fun at Collins for her hilarious gaffe by sharing a video of her commenting about her self-confidence at the 2022 Australian Open.

#4 Stefanos Tsitsipas extends open invitation to Margot Robbie

After his quarterfinal victory, Stefanos Tsitsipas professed his admiration towards Australian actress Margot Robbie and expressed his desire to see her in his player's box one day.

While he was applauded for his bold declaration, many tennis fans teased the Greek player with pictures of Margot Robbie from 2013, together with his rival finalist Novak Djokovic.

#3 "See you next year" - Novak Djokovic

There were no surprises when it came to the winner on the men's side at the 2023 Australian Open, as Novak Djokovic clinched the title for a record tenth time in his career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion earned a routine victory and dismissed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to lift the trophy.

Novak Djokovic's presentation ceremony speech concluded on a hopeful note, as the Serb said, "See you next year."

His statement created a hilarious meme, as one tennis fan guessed the feelings of Novak Djokovic's colleagues after hearing him say that he would be back to defend the title in 2024.

#2 Aryna Sabalenka's glorious turnaround at the Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka went from being the queen of double faults in 2022 to being a Grand Slam champion in 2023. The Belarusian was a semifinalist at the 2022 US Open, but her bitter loss to eventual champion Iga Swiatek reduced her to tears during her press conference.

Aryna Sabalenka's title win was thus one of the biggest storylines of the 2023 Australian Open, with one account celebrating her grand success by sharing two pictures showcasing her iconic glow-up.

#1 Novak Djokovic blamed for Rafael Nadal's racquet disappearance

No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal's opening-round encounter wasn't one without hiccups. The Spaniard, who was looking to defend his 2022 title, went through a bizarre experience as one of his main racquets went missing.

Rafael Nadal soon realized that the ball kid had taken the wrong racquet for stringing. The comical error caused immense furore on social media, with tennis fans jokingly claiming that Novak Djokovic was behind the disappearance of his arch-rival's racquet.

Novak Djokovic was jokingly blamed for Rafael Nadal's missing racquet