Novak Djokovic credits rediscovering his serve and mental toughness for his recent resurgence, having reached the U.S. Open final, led Serbia to the Davis Cup and now winning the Australian Open.

“It’s great and encouraging fact that I can rely on my serve in the important moments that gives you a little bit of the relief and advantage,” Djokovic said before the final against Andy Murray, where he got in 67 percent of his first serves, winning 70 percent of the points and 60 percent on his second delivery.

It was a sharp contrast to his struggles in the first half of last year, when he struggled with his motion and was prone to double faults. “I was aware of what I do wrong. But once it gets into your head, it’s really hard to get it out of your habit,” he reflected after defeating Murray to recapture the title he first won in 2008. “I worked hard the last 10 months, and now it’s back.”

Djokovic also struggled with allergies last spring and says his physical troubles were compounded by off-court distractions. “It’s been a big mental struggle, because I was trying to separate my professional life from my more private life,” he said.

Faint signs of a turnaround at Wimbledon were followed by a run to the final of the U.S. Open, where Djokovic survived a five-setter in the first round and then won another five-setter against Roger Federer in the semifinals. “Something switched in my head, because I am very emotional on and off the court. I show my emotions. This is the way I am,” he said. “The things off court were not working for me, you know. It reflected on my game, on my professional tennis career. But then, I settled some things in my head.”

Djokovic is now one of only four multiple Grand Slam winners on tour, joining Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He has also won two of the only three Grand Slams since the 2005 Australian Open that have not been won by Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

Andy Murray says he may put away the racquets for a while after losing his third Grand Slam final. “I’ll see what I do from here, you know. I don’t know, I might not play for a few months. I might feel like playing in a week’s time,” Murray said after falling to Novak Djokovic in an unexpectedly one-sided defeat at the Australian Open.

“[I]t depends on how I feel. I don’t have to play until Indian Wells and Miami. If I am enjoying myself back home, then I won’t start training again, because last year I went through the motions a bit and that is not the way to move forward. I want to spend time with my girlfriend, chill out and get away from the court.”

After losing to Roger Federer in last year’s Australian Open final, Murray struggled until reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon.

“It’s better than it was last year… I was in a much worse state last year than I was this year. I don’t know why,” said Murray, before adding, “It was obviously tough, disappointing. You know, I thought Novak played unbelievably well.

“I would have liked to have played better. But, you know, I think he would have beaten every other player on the tour if he played like that tonight. He served well. He didn’t make many mistakes from the back of the court. He moved really, really well.

“I’ll be very happy with the way the tournament went. But I would have obviously liked to have gone one step further.”

Novak Djokovic credits rediscovering his serve and mental toughness for his recent resurgence, having reached the U.S. Open final, led Serbia to the Davis Cup and now winning the Australian Open.

“It’s great and encouraging fact that I can rely on my serve in the important moments that gives you a little bit of the relief and advantage,” Djokovic said before the final against Andy Murray, where he got in 67 percent of his first serves, winning 70 percent of the points and 60 percent on his second delivery.

It was a sharp contrast to his struggles in the first half of last year, when he struggled with his motion and was prone to double faults. “I was aware of what I do wrong. But once it gets into your head, it’s really hard to get it out of your habit,” he reflected after defeating Murray to recapture the title he first won in 2008. “I worked hard the last 10 months, and now it’s back.”

Djokovic also struggled with allergies last spring and says his physical troubles were compounded by off-court distractions. “It’s been a big mental struggle, because I was trying to separate my professional life from my more private life,” he said.

Faint signs of a turnaround at Wimbledon were followed by a run to the final of the U.S. Open, where Djokovic survived a five-setter in the first round and then won another five-setter against Roger Federer in the semifinals. “Something switched in my head, because I am very emotional on and off the court. I show my emotions. This is the way I am,” he said. “The things off court were not working for me, you know. It reflected on my game, on my professional tennis career. But then, I settled some things in my head.”

Djokovic is now one of only four multiple Grand Slam winners on tour, joining Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He has also won two of the only three Grand Slams since the 2005 Australian Open that have not been won by Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

Andy Murray says he may put away the racquets for a while after losing his third Grand Slam final. “I’ll see what I do from here, you know. I don’t know, I might not play for a few months. I might feel like playing in a week’s time,” Murray said after falling to Novak Djokovic in an unexpectedly one-sided defeat at the Australian Open.

“[I]t depends on how I feel. I don’t have to play until Indian Wells and Miami. If I am enjoying myself back home, then I won’t start training again, because last year I went through the motions a bit and that is not the way to move forward. I want to spend time with my girlfriend, chill out and get away from the court.”

After losing to Roger Federer in last year’s Australian Open final, Murray struggled until reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon.

“It’s better than it was last year… I was in a much worse state last year than I was this year. I don’t know why,” said Murray, before adding, “It was obviously tough, disappointing. You know, I thought Novak played unbelievably well.

“I would have liked to have played better. But, you know, I think he would have beaten every other player on the tour if he played like that tonight. He served well. He didn’t make many mistakes from the back of the court. He moved really, really well.

“I’ll be very happy with the way the tournament went. But I would have obviously liked to have gone one step further.”

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Novak Djokovic gave his old friend Andy Murray a sympathetic hug and a few consoling words, then got on with the real celebrations. Djokovic walked to the middle of the court, tossed his racket into the crowd, then stripped off his shirt and shoes and hurled them, too. The 23-year-old Serb had plenty to celebrate after his 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Murray in the Australian Open final on Sunday night.

Kim Clijsters wore the glow of a Grand Slam winner and the perspective of a working mother who worries about spending too much time on the road. The 27-year-old Belgian wore a white designer dress and hoisted her trophy for the cameras Sunday for a day-after photo shoot at Melbourne’s Brighton beach, where she posed in front of historic huts and dipped her toes in the bay on a hot summer’s…

It was another Scottish day for Andy Murray. The lanky 23-year-old has joked that when he’s on a winning streak he is adopted as British in the United Kingdom of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales but when he’s losing he’s more likely to be called a Scot, the nation of his birth.

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