"It feels like I will never stop congratulating you" - Stefanos Tsitsipas surrenders to Novak Djokovic after losing 5th final against Serb

World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas hasn't quite cracked the code to beat Novak Djokovic in the final on tour yet. The Serbian continued his domination against the Greek, besting him 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets to win the 2022 Astana Open title on Sunday. This was Djokovic's fifth win against Tsitsipas in an ATP final, and his seventh consecutive win over him.

The duo have met each other on 10 occasions, with Djokovic having an 8-2 advantage against the Greek. The World No. 7 was at his lethal best in Astana as he dominated the 24-year-old from Athens from the very first point to the last.

The Serb faced no break points throughout the match and lost a total of seven points on his serve, three of which came in the last game when Tsitsipas was able to take it to deuce for the first time in the match.

Speaking at the trophy ceremony afterward, Tsitsipas was all praise for his conqueror, joking about how it has become his routine to congratulate the 21-time Grand Slam champion after losing to him in summit clashes.

“I feel like I’ve done this before, this is not the first time,” Stefanos Tsitsipas said to Novak Djokovic. “Again in the final. I want to congratulate you. I mean it feels like I will never stop congratulating you. It will keep happening, non-stop. But I congratulate you one more time.

“What can I say, unbelievable performance man. You were extremely accurate, an extreme professional out on the court. I think this tournament belongs to you, it wouldn’t be right if it belonged to anyone else.”

"You have always been humble in victory, gracious and respectful in your defeats" - Novak Djokovic heaps praise on Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas at Laver Cup 2022. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup

Novak Djokovic not only dominated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final but also played at another level as compared to everyone else throughout the Astana Open. The Serbian lost only one set all week, which came against Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal clash.

After winning the final convincingly against Tsitsipas, Djokovic lavished praise on the youngster's character on the court, hailing him for the humility and grace he continues to display, and wished him all the best for the future.

“You’ve always been humble in victory and gracious and respectful in your defeats,” Novak Djokovic said of the Greek. “I’m sure that in the future you’re going to have a lot of victories. You’re still young and you’re a great player. You’re a great competitor. “I really wish you all the best, except when you play against me,” he joked.