June 4, 2024 Update:
Novak Djokovic won his 24th major championship when he beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the 2023 US Open final.
The 2024 season has not gone so well. Novak was upset by Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in the semis of the Australian Open (Sinner would go on to win the championship). Novak was forced to withdraw prior to his scheduled French Open quarterfinal against
Casper Ruud due to the right knee meniscus injury he sustained in his 4th-round, 5-set win over
Francisco Cerundolo (Djokovic said he was hurt in the 2nd set). Novak withdrawing ended his French Open title defense and meant he would relinquish the No. 1 world ranking.
Djokovic has won 24 titles in 73 major tournaments he has entered since his 2005 debut. He has reached the final in 36 of those 73 Slams.
Djokovic leads Roger Federer 24-20 in career Grand Slam titles. Djokovic has won 12 of the last 21 major tournaments he has participated in (it would have been 13 of 21 had he not been disqualified at the 2020 US Open for striking a line judge with a ball). He did not participate in 2 majors during this span because of his refusal to get vaccinated for covid (Novak was deported from Australia in Jan 2022 before the Australian Open and he was not allowed to fly to the United States ahead of the 2022 US Open under a covid rule that has since been lifted).
Some consider Roger Federer the GOAT. It appears that way of thinking has changed as the Djoker has not only passed Federer in career grand slam titles, but he has now passed Nadal as well.
Federer officially retired on Sep 23, 2022, after partnering with Nadal in doubles in the 5th edition of the Laver Cup.
Federer and Nadal competed against each other 40 times in their careers, with 24 of those matchups taking place in tournament finals.
Nadal held a 24-16 record over Federer, and a 14-10 record in finals.
(24 Grand Slam Titles, 404 weeks as World #1) Djokovic has won:
10 Australian Opens
7 Wimbledon
4 U.S. Opens
3 French Opens
(22 Grand Slam Titles, 209 weeks as World #1) Nadal has won:
2 Australian Opens
2 Wimbledon
4 U.S. Opens
14 French Opens
(20 Grand Slam Titles, 310 weeks as World #1) Federer has won:
6 Australian Opens
8 Wimbledon
5 U.S. Opens
1 French Open
Career Grand Slam Titles
At the start of 2011:
16: Federer
14: Sampras
..9: Nadal
...1...Djokovic
Grand Slam titles since 2011:
23. Djokovic
13: Nadal
.4: Federer
Here's when the Big 3 and Carlos Alcaraz won their first major:
At age 19, in 2022--Alcaraz's 1st Grand Slam win, at the US Open
At age 20, in 2008--Djokovic's 1st Grand Slam win, at the Australian Open.
He defeated Roger Federer in the semi-finals & interrupted Federer & Nadal's streak of 11 consecutive majors.
At age 19, in 2005--Nadal's 1st Grand Slam win, at the the French Open
At age 22, in 2003--Federer's 1st Grand Slam win, at Wimbledon
Other records:
* Djokovic ended the 2023 season/year at World #1 for a
record-extending 8th time. Pete Sampras is 2nd at six times.
* The 2023 US Open was Djokovic's
36th Major Final (most all-time, men & women).
* At the 2024 Australian Open, Djokovic reached his
record-extending 48th Grand Slam semifinal when he beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 3 3/4 hours.
* Finished 2023 winning a
record-breaking 7th ATP Finals Championship (the season-ending tournament for the year's top 8 players). Roger Federer is 2nd with 6 championships.
* Has become the
first player to hold the World #1 ranking for 400 weeks (Roger Federer, at 310, is the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark).
Overall Grand Slam Titles:
24 Novak Djokovic
24* Margaret Court
23 Serena Williams
22 Rafael Nadal
22 Steffi Graf
20 Roger Federer
* 13 of the 24 came before professionals were admitted to the Slam events.
Most Years With 3 Or More Major Titles -- Men & Women All-Time
Margaret Court | 5 |
Steffi Graf | 5 |
Novak Djokovic | 4* |
Roger Federer | 3 |
* 2023, 2021, 2015 and 2011
Top 5: Overall Weeks as World #1:
404 Novak Djokovic
377 Steffi Graf
332 Martina Navratilova
319 Serena Williams
310 Roger Federer
(209 Rafael Nadal)
Top 4: Year-end World #1 Finishes:
With his win Sunday, Nov 19, 2023, at the ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic clinched his 8th ATP year-end No. 1 finish -- tying Steffi Graf for the most in ATP or WTA Rankings history.
Novak Djokovic | 8 |
Steffi Graf | 8 |
Martina Navratilova | 7 |
Pete Sampras | 6 |
Of Note:
On March 20, 2023,
Nadal's streak of 912 weeks in the ATP's top 10, the longest in ATP rankings history by a landslide, came to an end.
The last time Rafa had been ranked outside the top 10 was in April 2005.
Current List of Most Weeks at ATP World #1:
Most Weeks at ATP No. 1 at Ultimate Tennis Statistics
www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com