Indeed, this one could have been over much sooner: Djokovic led 4-1 in the first set, 4-0 in the second and 3-1 in the third. But in the first, he faltered, wasting a set point at 5-2, getting broken when he served for it at 5-3, then dropping four of the tiebreaker's last five points.

When Berrettini closed it out with a 138 mph ace, he shouted — but said later he couldn't hear his own roar because of the how loud many of the 15,000 spectators were.

But Djokovic is nothing if not a fighter. He blunted Berrettini's best efforts and won the fans over, too. When it was over, Djokovic dropped to his back on the turf, arms and legs splayed, showered by cheers. Moments later, he rose, threw his head back, spread his arms and basked in the joint appreciation of his accomplishment.

As Berrettini put it: "He's writing the history of this sport, so he deserves all the credit." It was an entertaining final, with some magical points. On one, Berrettini conjured up a 'tweener lob that Djokovic tracked down with his own-back-to-the-court flick that wound up in the net.

On another, Djokovic slid into a keep-the-point-going defensive backhand and, after Berrettini replied with a drop shot, sprinted forward for a winner. Djokovic raised his index finger — as if to remind everyone, "I'm No 1!" — and Berrettini flipped his racket end over end, caught it and smiled.

What more could he do? Not much anyone can do against Djokovic, it seems.

He has won eight of the past 12 majors — all since turning 30. And for all of the questions about when the younger generation would step forward, Djokovic is singlehandedly holding off the kids.