logo
From winning iPods to Grand Slams - Djokovic's 100 titles

From winning iPods to Grand Slams - Djokovic's 100 titles

Yahoo24-05-2025

Novak Djokovic continues to reach landmarks most players could only dream about.
On Saturday, the 38-year-old Serb claimed the 100th title of his stellar career after beating Poland's Hubert Hurkacz to win the Geneva Open.
Djokovic is only the third man - after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) - to clock up the century in the Open era.
To mark his achievement, BBC Sport delves deeper into the stories and numbers behind Djokovic's ton of trophies.
Djokovic makes more history with 100th singles title
Post-Nadal era begins at French Open - men's preview
In July 2006, there was little fanfare - outside of his native Serbia, at least - when a 19-year-old Djokovic landed his first ATP title.
A clay-court event in the Dutch city of Amersfoort was an understated setting for what became a launchpad towards greatness.
Djokovic, who was ranked 36th in the world at the time, overcame reigning Olympic champion Nicolas Massu in the final, with the Chilean noting the "spectacular potential" of his teenage opponent.
The new champion celebrated with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a silver-plated iPod in the other.
The events quickly got bigger - as did the prizes.
In April 2007, Djokovic won his first ATP Masters title by beating Argentina's Guillermo Canas in Miami and landed his first major with victory over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2008 Australian Open final.
While he did not win another major for three years, the steady stream of titles continued.
Then came 2011 - a season where Djokovic, backed by a more potent serve and greater endurance, took his game to greater heights.
Fuelled by a new gluten-free diet which he credits for transforming his career, he won his first 40 matches of the year and collected seven titles as a result.
The most successful year of his career ended with 10 trophies, including three of the four majors.
Djokovic makes more history with 100th singles title
Post-Nadal era begins at French Open - men's preview
French Open - schedule, draw and how to follow
For years, debate raged over who was the greatest men's player of all time.
Djokovic has all but ended the argument - if it is based solely on numbers, at least - by moving clear of his rivals in the key metrics.
No man has won as many Grand Slam titles as Djokovic (24)
Nobody has earned as many Grand Slam singles wins (382)
Nobody has won as many ATP Masters titles (40)
Nobody has spent as many weeks at the top of the ATP rankings (428)
Djokovic is the only player to have won all nine Masters events - earning him what is known as a career Golden Masters. In fact, he has achieved that feat twice.
One piece of the jigsaw had been missing, which is why title number 99 was so special.
Winning Olympic gold, though, eluded Djokovic at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
There had been tears and tantrums as the mental energy spent poured out during his defeats.
At Paris 2024 he also sobbed on the court - this time because he finally landed the title he craved.
Djokovic is one of only five singles players to achieve the career 'Golden Slam'.
"Being on that court with the Serbian flag raising, singing the anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport," he said.
Home is where the heart is for a proud Serb like Djokovic.
There is one place, though, which he has regularly described as his "second home": Melbourne. Or, more specifically, Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic has won the Australian Open there on a record 10 occasions, making it the most successful tournament of his career.
The events which he has won the most are:
Australian Open (10)
Wimbledon, Paris Masters, ATP Finals (7)
Miami, Rome, Dubai, Beijing (6)
Djokovic's all-court prowess is reflected by the fact there are events played on three different surfaces in this list - Wimbledon grass, Rome clay and hard courts everywhere else.
Hard courts are where he has enjoyed the most success, helped by the majority of the ATP season being played on it.
When Djokovic lost to Federer in his first Grand Slam final at the 2007 US Open final, the Swiss superstar predicted they would have "many more battles".
Ultimately, they went on to build an engrossing rivalry - with Djokovic going on to win 13 titles by beating Federer in trophy matches.
He also won the 2014 ATP Finals after the Swiss withdrew before the final with a back injury.
However, it is Rafael Nadal who Djokovic has beaten more times in finals than anybody else.
The 'Big Three', as they became known, were the dominant players of the late 2000s and 2010s, with only Andy Murray breaking their 16-year stranglehold on the world number one ranking between 2004 and 2020.
It is unsurprising that Nadal, Federer and Murray account for 40 of the men beaten by Djokovic in his 100 triumphant finals.
The Serb has faced 37 other opponents across the remaining 60 matches.
Argentine Canas, born in 1977 and turning 48 later this year, is the oldest player he has beaten.
Carlos Alcaraz - a 22-year-old who is nearer in age to Djokovic's 10-year-old son Stefan - is the youngest.
Massu, beaten by Djokovic at the very start in Amersfoort, was also present for the Serb's landmark success, with the 45-year-old Chilean now coaching Hurkacz.
Clinching the century is the clear highlight of a difficult 2025 season.
A hamstring injury in the semi-final curbed his Australian Open ambitions before a struggle for form led to the end of his coaching partnership with Briton Murray.
In Geneva, he insisted the motivation is "still there".
Standing alone with 25 Grand Slam titles, taking sole ownership of the record he holds jointly with Australia's Margaret Court, is the biggest target left for Djokovic.
Overtaking Federer and Connors in terms of ATP titles might be another ambition.
"I think I've achieved all of my biggest goals in career," Djokovic said at the Australian Open in January.
"Right now it's really about Slams and seeing how far I can push the bar for myself.
"I think I can go toe-to-toe with the big guys. As long as that's the case, I guess I'll still feel the need to keep on competing."
Live scores, results and order of play
Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What next for highly-rated Motherwell teenager Miller?
What next for highly-rated Motherwell teenager Miller?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

What next for highly-rated Motherwell teenager Miller?

Lennon Miller could be on the move this summer after another standout campaign [SNS] With the transfer window open, one of the big stories in Scottish football is the future of Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller. The 18-year-old midfielder has just one year left on his Fir Park deal, which means it is the club's final chance to get a significant fee for another successful academy player. Advertisement Miller has turned heads in the last two seasons in particular after initially making his debut six days after his 16th birthday in August 2022. Last term he captained Motherwell several times and had another fine campaign, which culminated in his first Scotland cap and start. His dad Lee, himself a former footballer, joked at an SPFL event marking the release of the new season's fixtures that "there's a different club every day" mentioned online as his son's next move. However, as yet there have been no bids made. But what might the future hold for Scottish football's brightest young talent? Advertisement Why is Miller so coveted? Clearly an 18-year-old who has played 76 first-team games, captained his club, and made his international debut possesses talent which is going to attract attention. Since his debut Miller's close control, passing range, and vision have caught the eye. Clubs across the world are data driven, always looking for young players with positive numbers who can be bought at a relatively low price, developed, and sold on. A look at some of the numbers for central midfielders in the Scottish Premiership last season demonstrates why Miller would appear in lots of databases. Already an adept set-piece taker, Miller grabbed eight assists for Motherwell, a tally only bettered by Rangers' Nicolas Raskin among central midfielders in the league. Advertisement Mostly a deeper-lying midfielder, he was deployed as one of two number 10s in the early part of the campaign for Motherwell, and ranked third among midfielders for chances created by the end of the season, as well as deliveries into the box. As for the dirtier side of the game, only Celtic captain Callum McGregor won the ball back more times than Miller. The teenager was also the most fouled central midfielder in the league, a nod to his ability to use his body to protect the ball in tight spaces, and his dribbling prowess too. His passing accuracy as a whole is further down the charts, which hints at an area for development, but Motherwell's direct style and Miller's tendency to play riskier passes forward could also be behind the lower figure. Advertisement Of course individual statistics are not themselves the basis for signing players. But what has been striking about Miller has been the calmness and confidence with which he has played since his debut. He has often been keen to take responsibility, for example scoring an injury-time penalty against Dundee United to send Motherwell to the semi-finals of the League Cup. Miller was similarly unbothered by his first Scotland start against Liechtenstein, putting in a standout display. "He makes football look easy regardless of what game he plays in," his Motherwell team-mate Tony Watt posted on X after that game. Is a switch abroad Miller's next move? Miller and his dad have always maintained playing regularly is the priority. Advertisement Moving away from these shores might be his best chance to do that, while others also think it would be a good fit for his game. Both Udinese and Union Saint-Gilloise reportedly had bids rejected for Miller in January, and they will unlikely to be the last offers coming in. Talented young Scottish players have increasingly looked to move abroad in recent seasons. Whether it is Aaron Hickey and Lewis Ferguson enhancing their careers while playing at Bologna, or Max Johnston tasting title success and Champions League football after leaving Motherwell for Sturm Graz in Austria, the template is there. Advertisement Others like recent Scotland debutants Josh Doig and Andy Irving have also progressed in their careers through playing regularly abroad, while there is the influence of more senior players Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour at Napoli. "Lennon's next move is so important, because a lot of players will get sucked into going to just a massive club and going, right, I've arrived," dad Lee said. "But there needs to be a lot of thought process, and there has been a lot of thought process of his next move, because it's a development move again. "This is what we planned out for him, in terms of playing loads of games in the first team, doing really well, and it's on him to do that. Advertisement "There was a pathway there at Motherwell, and the next one, for me, is important because he has to play, he has to develop, he has to then kick on again. "Once he's round about better players, no disrespect to the Motherwell players, but once he's round about top class elite players, he will then kick on again, in my opinion. "And I think he has that inner belief, and it's not arrogance, it's just a belief. And he wants to play football." What about the Premier League? Lots of Scottish teenagers have moved to Premier League academies before even playing a first-team game since Brexit, but Miller has chosen a different path. Advertisement And given his dad's comments about much he relishes playing regularly, a move to the top level in England seems less likely. The only Premier League side linked so far is newly-promoted Sunderland. With the club's owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus employing a strategy focused on young players, plus the record sale of Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund, it makes sense they would be interested in Miller. Whether it materialises into an offer remains to be seen. Could Celtic keep Miller in Scotland? The Premiership champions are the only Scottish club talked about when it comes to signing Miller from Motherwell. Advertisement A young Scottish player with lots of potential is exactly the type of signing Celtic would hope to make, especially given the lack of academy players making the first team in the last few years. But with 32-year-old McGregor still the undisputed first pick at the base of Brendan Rodgers' midfield three, it could come down to how much time on the pitch Miller thinks he would get. That, and whether Celtic can, or want to, meet Motherwell's asking price in a potentially competitive market. For Miller's part he has stayed as calm as ever about what the future holds. "I've got a year left on my contract so my focus is to go back into pre-season, work as hard as I can and get ready for the season," he said after his first Scotland start. Advertisement "You get these big clubs mentioned, but it is only speculation. "You just need to try and focus on what you're doing and that will all take care of itself."

Tottenham interested in Lazio's Gustav Isaksen
Tottenham interested in Lazio's Gustav Isaksen

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Tottenham interested in Lazio's Gustav Isaksen

Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the possibility of signing Lazio's Gustav Isaksen. La Repubblica have reported, as relayed by LazioPress, that the Dane can leave the Stadio Olimpico this summer and there could be an opportunity for him to reunite with his girlfriend Olivia Holdt in London. Advertisement That is because she plays for the Tottenham Women's team and Isaksen is attracting interest from Spurs. New manager Thomas Frank is keen on signing the right-winger and was actually interested in bringing him to Brentford last summer. Tottenham could make an offer for Isaksen in the next few days, with Lazio keen on making sure that they earn around €30m from the sale. The Roman club are monitoring Parma's Dennis Man as a replacement, with the winger having recently changed his agents and that has caught attention. He could be a like-for-like replacement for Isaksen, who impressed under Marco Baroni last season. Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN

Scottish gossip: Rangers agree Aarons deal
Scottish gossip: Rangers agree Aarons deal

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Scottish gossip: Rangers agree Aarons deal

Rangers are preparing to offer their star midfielder a new deal while getting closer to adding to their squad as Celtic also close in on signings... Rangers have agreed a deal with Bournemouth to sign right-back Max Aarons, 25, on loan. (Sky Sports) Advertisement Rangers are preparing to offer in-demand midfielder Nicolas Raskin a new contract (Scottish Sun). Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin suggests Rangers should cash in on forward Hamza Igamane, 22, this summer. (Record) Meanwhile, Rangers have agreed to settle a legal case brought by a finance firm over a fans pre-payment card but Lord Sandison is not yet content to end the action because of a lack of detail. (Sun) Celtic are close to completing deals to sign Fulham forward Callum Osmand, 19, and Nordsjaellen winger Benjamin Nygren, 23. (Record) Hearts are keeping tabs on Millwall and Scotland forward Kevin Nisbet, 28, as a possible alternative to out of contract striker Lawrence Shankland, 29. (AberdeenLive) Advertisement Hibernian are still in talks with defender Rocky Bushiri, 25, and winger Junior Hoilett, 35, about staying on at Easter Road. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required) Meanwhile Hibs will pocket over £1m for Dylan Vente with Dutch club Heerenveen set to make an offer (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required). Manager David Martindale said Livingston "were told that if we were getting promoted, we'd need to lift our pitch and replace it" before they secured a return to the SPFL Premiership via the play-offs. (Sun)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store