Djokovic won record ATP title: 7 top finals of the best tennis player of all time
Novak Djokovic with another trophy (Photo: Getty Images)
The world's top-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, became the sole leader in the number of titles for the year following his victory over Italy's Jannik Sinner in the decisive match of the ATP Finals 2023.
Recalling all the triumphs of the world's best tennis player, Novak Djokovic, in a compilation by RBC-Ukraine.
The 36-year-old Serb surpassed the former titan of world tennis, Roger Federer. The legendary Swiss won the year-end tournaments six times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011). Maestro reached ten finals but lost four (three times to Djokovic).
The Balkan player had no problems with his 14-year-younger opponent. Zinner took three games twice and surrendered in 104 minutes in his first-ever final of the season-ending competition. In contrast, Djokovic was unstoppable – 13 aces, 91% of points won on the first serve, and 100% saved break points. Bravo, champion!
The Serbian tennis player appeared in the tournament's final for the first time when it was still called the Masters Cup. In 2008, he competed for the tennis crown against Russian Nikolay Davydenko. Djokovic had already defeated the Volgograd native in the group stage, and in the final, he shocked with a robust first set (6-1). In the second, the Serb allowed the Russian player some leeway but no more (7-5).
Djokovic reached the decisive match of the ATP Finals again in 2012. Here, he initiated a series where he played in the competition's finals five times in a row. Federer was the first opponent of the Balkan player. The starting set was tense, requiring a tiebreak. Djokovic's success there impeded the overall victory after the second set (7-5).
The following year, Djokovic's opponent was another perennial rival – Rafael Nadal. The king of clay did not feel as confident on the hard court, losing to Djokovic in straight sets (3-6, 4-6). In 2014, fans anticipated a new battle between Djokovic and Federer, but the Swiss withdrew from the competition before the final due to a back injury.
What is destined to happen will happen. Maestro returned to the 2015 final and tried to stop Djokovic's championship run. He couldn't. Djokovic dealt with the Swiss tennis player as quickly from the outside as he did with Nadal two years earlier. Even the final score of the confrontation was identical – 6-3, 6-4.
It seemed that Djokovic would break the record for consecutive titles in 2016. However, Andy Murray held a different opinion. The Briton dealt with Djokovic's resistance. The Serbian tennis player could not oppose anything to the "iron" representative of Albion (3-6, 4-6).
Failure befell Djokovic in 2018 as well. This time, his opponent was German Alexander Zverev. In the group stage, the Serb efficiently dealt with the ethnic Russians in two sets (6-1, 6-4). However, he failed to repeat his success in the end. The opponent concluded the previous failure and secured revenge in the final (6-4, 6-3).
That match also marked the end of the era of the "Big Four's" dominance, consisting of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray, at the ATP Finals. After Zverev's triumph, only Djokovic reached the finals. And this happened twice – this year and last year.
In 2022, Djokovic faced Norwegian Ruud in the decisive match, and although the Scandinavian fought to the last in the first set, he eventually lost (5-7). In the second set, however, the experienced Balkan player looked even more confident and pressed Ruud for an hour and a half. And here is a new, record triumph. In the battle with Federer and Nadal, Djokovic won...
