He did it again. Novak Djokovic, thanks to his great victory over Tommy Paul in straight sets, equaled a historical mark of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Yes, again the Big 3 marks a memorable record in tennis history. In this case, the Serb won all 10 of his semifinals and reached 10 finals at the Australian Open, a figure only achieved before by a man in the same Major by the Spaniard at Roland Garros and by the Swiss at Wimbledon.
With his arrival in Sunday’s grand final in Australia, Djokovic wrote another page of glory. There were many great champions and world elite tennis players, but only three could afford to get into the definition at least 10 times in the same Grand Slam. And it’s all three musketeers of these times, with another unforgettable record.
In the Open Era to professionalism, which began in 1968, only Nadal and Federer reached that figure and even surpassed it. The 36-year-old Spaniard played 14 finals on the clay of Roland Garros, where he is lord and master. And he got a plus: he won them all. A memorable record, which everyone finds impossible to beat.
Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Swiss, retired last year from the circuit, was in 12 definitions on the legendary Wimbledon lawn. Federer triumphed in eight of those finals and lost the remaining four, the last truly historic, since he had two match points with serve in favor in 2019 and ended up losing to Djokovic in five sets.
Djokovic, 35, is the man with the most titles at the Australian Open, with nine, the product of having won the nine he played on the hard courts of Melbourne Park. This Friday he devastated Paul, he continues at a high level, showing himself to be fast, precise and aggressive, and for this reason he was able to emulate the ten that Nadal and Federer have in the same Major.
In number of Grand Slam finals, adding the four tournaments, Djokovic already leads with 33, after winning Wimbledon 2022 and this access to another definition in Australia. He is followed by Federer, with 31, and the podium is completed by Nadal, with 30. The Serbian won his first Major title right in Melbourne, 15 years ago, in 2008.
The Serbian is the only player who was one step away from this same mark in the US Open, where he reached nine finals, with a negative balance of three titles and six falls in the decisive duel. But on the hard courts of Australia he could surpass what he did on the hard surface of New York. Another feat with his indelible stamp.
