From winning iPods to Grand Slams – Djokovic’s 100 titles

Novak Djokovic is reaching new heights that few other players could even hope to.

The 38-year-old Serb won the Geneva Open, beating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, to claim his 100th title of his stellar career on Saturday.

Only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, who finished second, finished with Djokovic, who is only the third player to record the Open era century.

There was little fanfare, at least outside of his native Serbia, when 19-year-old Djokovic won his first ATP title in July 2006.

What turned into a launchpad to greatness was a clay-court event held in the Dutch city of Amersfoort.

Djokovic, who was 36th overall at the time, defeated Chile’s Nicolas Massu in the final, who had Chile’s “spectacular potential.”

A silver-plated iPod and a bouquet of flowers in one hand gave the new champion a bouquet of flowers in the other.

Djokovic won his first major with a victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2008 Australian Open final, beating Argentina’s Guillermo Canas in Miami in April 2007.

The steady stream of titles persisted even though he did not achieve another major for three years.

Then came the 2011 season, when Djokovic took his game to greater heights thanks to a stronger serve and greater endurance.

He won his first 40 matches of the year and won seven titles as a result of a new gluten-free diet, which he credits with changing his career.

Who was the greatest men’s player who lived? A debate erupted for years.

Djokovic has almost thrown his support behind his rivals in the key metrics debate, if it is at least based solely on numbers.

Because of the significance of title number 99, there was only one missing piece of the puzzle.

Winning Olympic gold, though, eluded Djokovic at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

As his defeats came to an end, there were tantrums and tears.

He also sobbed on the court in Paris 2024, this time because he finally won the title he desired.

Only five singles players have won the “Golden Slam” during their career.

A proud Serb like Djokovic can feel at home.

However, he has frequently referred to Melbourne as his “second home.” Or Rod Laver Arena in particular.

Djokovic’s Australian Open victory was the most notable of his career, with the record 10 victories recorded there.

He has won the most victories in the following:

There are events played on three different surfaces in this list, including Wimbledon grass, Rome clay, and hard courts everywhere else, which shows Djokovic’s all-court prowess.

Federer and Djokovic had “many more battles” when they met in their first Grand Slam final at the 2007 US Open final.

In the end, they engaged in an engrossing conflict, with Djokovic winning 13 titles after defeating Federer in trophy matches.

After the Swiss withdrew before the final due to a back injury, he also won the 2014 ATP Finals.

Only Andy Murray managed to break their 16-year dominance over the world’s top three between 2004 and 2020, when the “Big Three,” as they became known, rose to prominence in the late 2000s and 2010s.

Unsurprisingly, Nadal, Federer, and Murray made up 40 of the 100 men Djokovic defeated in his 100 championship matches.

In the final 60 games, the Serb has faced 37 more foes.

The oldest player he has ever defeated is Argentine Canas, who was born in 1977 and turns 48 later this year.

The youngest is Carlos Alcaraz, 22, who is about to reach Stefan, the son of Djokovic, who is 10 years older.

The clear highlight of a challenging 2025 season is clearly clinching the century.

Before struggling for form, his coaching partnership with Briton Murray ended due to a hamstring injury in the semi-final.

He argued in Geneva that the motivation was “still there.”

The biggest target Djokovic has left is standing alone with 25 Grand Slam titles and taking sole control of the record he and Australia’s Margaret Court jointly hold.

Another goal might be to surpass Federer and Connors in terms of ATP titles.

At the Australian Open in January, Djokovic said, “I think I’ve accomplished all of my career’s biggest goals.”

“At this point, it’s really about slams and seeing how far I can push the bar for myself.”