Spoiler:
iktor Troicki first encountered Novak Djokovic on a tennis court. He recalled blanking Djokovic 9-0 in an under-10 event in Belgrade.
Troicki’s favourite memory of his close friend also came on court, about 15 years later in the pro ranks. Djokovic, in the infancy of a career-altering season, turned the tables by dispatching his compatriot 6-0, 6-1 in Indian Wells in 2011. The serenity of the California desert contrasted with NATO bombs Djokovic and his family evaded in the Serbian capital in 1999.
“He kicked my ass, and at the net I was furious,” Troicki, now 11 months into retirement, told ATPTour.com. “I even broke my racquet into two pieces. I was coming up to the net to congratulate him. He smiled and told me, ‘Great match, you played very well.’ He was obviously joking. He made me smile and laugh about it, and it was something good friends do.
“We played a lot of matches, and I didn’t have too much success against him,” Troicki chuckled.
But Troicki isn’t alone in experiencing defeat at the hands of the 37-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, who today becomes just the fifth man in the Open Era to reach 1,000 match wins.
When asked by ATPTour.com for his initial thoughts on Djokovic achieving the extremely rare milestone, colourful commentator Robbie Koenig began with, “No-vakking — if you can start with that word — way!”
“It’s mind boggling what he has done, and the type of opposition he has had to do it against, in the (Roger) Federer-(Rafael) Nadal era,” continued the five-time ATP Tour doubles winner from South Africa.
It added to Djokovic’s extensive, distinguished list of records, such as, from 2015-2016, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to claim four consecutive majors and the first in the Open Era to bag each of the majors at least twice.
If not keeping track, those feats completed at the French Open marked his 730th and 961st wins.
No man has held the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking longer (369 weeks) or completed the Career Golden Masters (winning all nine Masters 1000 tournaments), which, for good measure, he has done twice. That includes winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ (capturing Indian Wells and Miami in the same year) four times. And let’s not forget his five titles at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Djokovic joined fellow GOAT candidates Federer and Nadal in tallying 1,000 victories. But before the emergence of the all-conquering Big Three, it hadn’t been done in the men’s game since Ivan Lendl in 1992. Jimmy Connors, a rival of Lendl’s, became the founding and only other member of the select club in 1984.
That Djokovic sits in the same class as Connors and Lendl is appropriate. Connors possessed a two-handed backhand and returns lauded by different generations, with Djokovic ascending to the same lofty heights.
In 2018 at the Nitto ATP Finals, John Isner, second only to Ivo Karlovic in career aces, rated Djokovic as the “No. 1 and No. 2 and No. 3” top returners he has ever played.
More than one shot is needed to enter the GOAT conversation, but a contender for Djokovic’s trademark stroke would be his backhand down the line on the backfoot — either during a baseline exchange or as a passing shot.
Indeed, the backhand drew special praise from Federer on the eve of their Wimbledon thriller in 2019.
“If I think of Novak, one thing that jumps out at me, is his jump back and to the left,” said Federer, edged out in five sets two days later. “How he's able to defend on that side, which I think has won him numerous matches and trophies. He does that better than anybody.”
ImageImage
One must veer in another direction, though, away from his staunch on-court weaponry, to account for Djokovic’s resilience in matches — as well as in his prolific 19-year pro career as a whole.
Lendl became invincible, at times, after changing his high cholesterol diet, teaming with a sports psychologist and a nutritionist, and prioritising his fitness. The Czech-born American, once tennis’ nearly man after losing his first four Grand Slam finals, was a pioneer. Djokovic just might be a modern-day equivalent.
Tweaking his own food habits reversed his fortunes. Eliminating gluten ahead of the 2011 campaign — a time when going “gluten free” seemingly wasn’t as commonplace as it is today — Djokovic 2.0 arrived, and stayed. “It’s easy to do it for nine months when you are playing well,” remarked Koenig. “But to do it for 12 years like he’s been doing, I cannot imagine the mental discipline that that involves.”
Stalling at one major after opening his account at the 2008 Australian Open, his stunning 2011 season brought three Grand Slam titles, 10 titles overall and a season-opening 41-match winning streak.
Retiring from matches eight times prior to 2011, the number dropped to five thereafter despite an increased workload.
“I had to learn to listen to my body,” Djokovic, whose family, ironically, operated a pizza restaurant in the Serbian ski resort of Kopaonik, wrote in his own book, 2014’s Serve to Win. “Once I did, everything changed. You could call it magic. It felt like magic.”
For his mental game, not to mention wellbeing, he meditates, practises yoga, visualisation, pilates (has there ever been a men’s champion as flexible as the nearly 35-year-old?) and conscious breathing. The latter helped ease his problematic allergy issues, dovetailing with the dietary adjustments.
Given all his mind training, when Djokovic said after the 2019 Wimbledon final that he tried to envisage the partisan Federer crowd calling out his name instead of the Swiss’, it wasn’t a throwaway, humourous line.
Djokovic didn’t commit an unforced error in any of the three tie-breaks, prevailing 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) in five hours for the fifth of his six crowns at SW19.
Also, it marked the third time Djokovic topped Federer at a Grand Slam after saving match points.
Djokovic boasts superior head-to-head records against Federer and Nadal, accounting for 57 of the 1,000 wins. The lone player to get the better of them at least twice in their respective strongholds of Roland Garros and Wimbledon? Djokovic.
“At a technical level, when Djokovic has been at the top of his game, I have to say that I’ve been up against an invincible player,” Nadal admitted in 2017.
From 2011-2021, Djokovic’s record of 146-39 in deciding sets — a 79 per cent win rate — is further testament to his ability of outdoing opponents when the tension peaks.
Djokovic once said he might play until he is 40. With his meticulous methods and skill, he must be more likely than most to get there and pad the win count.
“To last this long and win title after title, that’s something that only the great champions do in any sport,” said Troicki. “I consider him one of the greatest athletes in the world ever. I’m proud to know him.”
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STATS & DJOKOVIC'S DAZZLING DOZEN
2007 Montreal Final vs. Federer
Djokovic announced his arrival at the very top of the men’s game by beating the ATP Tour’s Top 3 players in successive matches to win his second ATP Masters 1000 title. After beating Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal in straight sets to reach the final, the Serbian claimed his first career victory over Federer, 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(2).
2011 US Open SF vs. Federer
For the second straight year in New York, Djokovic saved two match points against the Swiss to advance to the final. This time, he came back from two sets down and saved two match points on return, firing that famous crosscourt forehand return winner to save the first at 5-3, 40/15 down in the fifth set. After winning a 7-5 decider, Djokovic claimed his first US Open title by downing Nadal in four.
2012 Australian Open Final vs. Nadal
Over the course of five hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic and Nadal put on the ultimate show in what still stands as the longest Grand Slam final in tennis history. The Serbian was the last man standing at 1:37 a.m. with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 win, earning his third consecutive major title and his third overall in Melbourne.
2012 Shanghai Final vs. Murray
Djokovic saved five match points in the second-set tie-break on the way to a 5-7, 7-6(11), 6-3 victory. There was little more Murray could do to get over the final hurdle, such was his opponent’s repeated brilliance with his back against the wall. The victory all but clinched year-end No. 1 for Djokovic for the second straight season as he gained a measure of revenge following his US Open final loss to the Briton.
2012 Nitto ATP Finals Championship vs. Federer
Coming from a break behind in both sets, Djokovic earned his second Nitto ATP Finals title — and first since 2008 – with a 7-6(6), 7-5 victory over two-time defending champion Federer. Already assured of his year-end position atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Djokovic added the cherry on top with his 75th win and sixth title of the 2012 season.
2013 Australian Open SF vs. Wawrinka
Trailing 6-1, 5-2 in Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic roared back to take the second and third sets before Wawrinka forced a decider. With the match finishing at 1:41 a.m. in Melbourne, Djokovic escaped with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 12-10 victory. He followed that performance with a four-set win over Murray to secure his fourth Australian Open title.
2013 Monte Carlo Final vs. Nadal
Two years after scoring his first clay-court win over Nadal, Djokovic ended the Spaniard’s eight-year reign as Monte Carlo champion with an emphatic 6-2, 7-6(1) victory. After Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead, Nadal saved five set points to avoid a first-set bagel. His comeback attempt fell short as the Serbian dominated the second-set tie-break in a statement victory.
2014 Wimbledon Final vs. Federer
Djokovic ended a run of three straight Grand Slam final losses (and five of the past six) by recording what he called the "most special win of my career". In what he said was the "best quality Grand Slam final" he had played in, Djokovic edged the Swiss after nearly four hours, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4, to win his second Wimbledon crown and reclaim the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking from Nadal.
2016 Roland Garros Final vs. Murray
Djokovic became the eighth man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam with a four-set win over Murray, coming back from a set down to win his 12th Grand Slam title. He also became just the third man to hold all four major titles at the same time as he completed the ‘Novak Slam’ in Paris.
2019 Rome QF vs. Del Potro
In an instant classic at the Foro Italico, Djokovic saved two match points in a second-set tie-break against Juan Martin del Potro, erasing the second with a delicate drop shot winner. In what will likely go down as the final match between these two legends, Djokovic improved his ATP Head2Head record against the Argentine to 16-4 by closing out a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 win.
2019 Wimbledon Final vs. Federer
Again staring down a pair of match points against Federer in the fifth set of a Grand Slam, Djokovic escaped with another improbable victory. The Swiss had the match on his racquet, serving at 8-7, 40/15, but fell victim to one more Djokovic comeback. The match ended in a historic tie-break, staged for the first time at 12-all in the fifth set, with the Serbian coming through, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3).
2020 ATP Cup SF vs. Medvedev
In the most competitive match to date in this high-profile rivalry, Djokovic sent Serbia into the final of the inaugural ATP Cup with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory. Djokovic called the nearly three-hour match “exciting, exhausting, joyful, dreadful all at once”. He backed it up by leading his nation to the title against Spain, scoring a singles win against Nadal and a doubles victory alongside countryman Viktor Troicki.
PAYING TRIBUTE
Rafael Nadal
"The respect is very high because [he] is an opponent [who I've] played a lot of times. We've played in the greatest stadiums, greatest moments for both of us. We shared on court a lot of big moments... [He] is a great rival."
Roger Federer
“Novak, obviously he can play on all the surfaces extremely well... He always brings a certain level of play, which is extremely high, so to beat him you have to be at your best."
Carlos Alcaraz
“Djokovic is one of the best players of history for me. For me, everything that he has achieved for tennis, it's amazing. You just can admire him.”
Richard Gasquet
“Year after year he’s playing better. I started with him on the Tour, he was 17 years old, I was 18. Year after year, I could see he was much better physically, mentally. Backhand, forehand, was improving every shot clearly. That’s why he is maybe the best player in history, with Nadal and Federer, by far.”
Stan Smith
“He’s got the confidence that if things go bad, he’s not going to panic. A lot of people do [panic].”
Goran Ivanisevic
“He’s a guy who the more pressure he has, the better he plays. That is why he is such a champion. That is why for me he is the biggest tennis player in the history of the sport.”
Dusan Lajovic
“I think talent comes in many forms and when you see these top guys, they are very talented in every particular skill that you need for tennis... I think the biggest talent is who can mentally hold longer and right now it looks like Novak is on top of that.”
Laslo Djere
“He has been an excellent motivator for all players from Serbia. He showed us all the way and that everything is possible. He has made an admirable impact.”
Filip Krajinovic
“People love him here, he’s the greatest of all-time and people have a lot of respect for him. They live for his tennis, so it’s not easy to play against him.”
Miomir Kecmanovic
“I’ve trained with him and I have admired his game for so many years. He has helped me by his example as a champion and pushed me to improve.”
Troicki’s favourite memory of his close friend also came on court, about 15 years later in the pro ranks. Djokovic, in the infancy of a career-altering season, turned the tables by dispatching his compatriot 6-0, 6-1 in Indian Wells in 2011. The serenity of the California desert contrasted with NATO bombs Djokovic and his family evaded in the Serbian capital in 1999.
“He kicked my ass, and at the net I was furious,” Troicki, now 11 months into retirement, told ATPTour.com. “I even broke my racquet into two pieces. I was coming up to the net to congratulate him. He smiled and told me, ‘Great match, you played very well.’ He was obviously joking. He made me smile and laugh about it, and it was something good friends do.
“We played a lot of matches, and I didn’t have too much success against him,” Troicki chuckled.
But Troicki isn’t alone in experiencing defeat at the hands of the 37-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, who today becomes just the fifth man in the Open Era to reach 1,000 match wins.
When asked by ATPTour.com for his initial thoughts on Djokovic achieving the extremely rare milestone, colourful commentator Robbie Koenig began with, “No-vakking — if you can start with that word — way!”
“It’s mind boggling what he has done, and the type of opposition he has had to do it against, in the (Roger) Federer-(Rafael) Nadal era,” continued the five-time ATP Tour doubles winner from South Africa.
It added to Djokovic’s extensive, distinguished list of records, such as, from 2015-2016, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to claim four consecutive majors and the first in the Open Era to bag each of the majors at least twice.
If not keeping track, those feats completed at the French Open marked his 730th and 961st wins.
No man has held the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking longer (369 weeks) or completed the Career Golden Masters (winning all nine Masters 1000 tournaments), which, for good measure, he has done twice. That includes winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ (capturing Indian Wells and Miami in the same year) four times. And let’s not forget his five titles at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Djokovic joined fellow GOAT candidates Federer and Nadal in tallying 1,000 victories. But before the emergence of the all-conquering Big Three, it hadn’t been done in the men’s game since Ivan Lendl in 1992. Jimmy Connors, a rival of Lendl’s, became the founding and only other member of the select club in 1984.
That Djokovic sits in the same class as Connors and Lendl is appropriate. Connors possessed a two-handed backhand and returns lauded by different generations, with Djokovic ascending to the same lofty heights.
In 2018 at the Nitto ATP Finals, John Isner, second only to Ivo Karlovic in career aces, rated Djokovic as the “No. 1 and No. 2 and No. 3” top returners he has ever played.
More than one shot is needed to enter the GOAT conversation, but a contender for Djokovic’s trademark stroke would be his backhand down the line on the backfoot — either during a baseline exchange or as a passing shot.
Indeed, the backhand drew special praise from Federer on the eve of their Wimbledon thriller in 2019.
“If I think of Novak, one thing that jumps out at me, is his jump back and to the left,” said Federer, edged out in five sets two days later. “How he's able to defend on that side, which I think has won him numerous matches and trophies. He does that better than anybody.”
ImageImage
One must veer in another direction, though, away from his staunch on-court weaponry, to account for Djokovic’s resilience in matches — as well as in his prolific 19-year pro career as a whole.
Lendl became invincible, at times, after changing his high cholesterol diet, teaming with a sports psychologist and a nutritionist, and prioritising his fitness. The Czech-born American, once tennis’ nearly man after losing his first four Grand Slam finals, was a pioneer. Djokovic just might be a modern-day equivalent.
Tweaking his own food habits reversed his fortunes. Eliminating gluten ahead of the 2011 campaign — a time when going “gluten free” seemingly wasn’t as commonplace as it is today — Djokovic 2.0 arrived, and stayed. “It’s easy to do it for nine months when you are playing well,” remarked Koenig. “But to do it for 12 years like he’s been doing, I cannot imagine the mental discipline that that involves.”
Stalling at one major after opening his account at the 2008 Australian Open, his stunning 2011 season brought three Grand Slam titles, 10 titles overall and a season-opening 41-match winning streak.
Retiring from matches eight times prior to 2011, the number dropped to five thereafter despite an increased workload.
“I had to learn to listen to my body,” Djokovic, whose family, ironically, operated a pizza restaurant in the Serbian ski resort of Kopaonik, wrote in his own book, 2014’s Serve to Win. “Once I did, everything changed. You could call it magic. It felt like magic.”
For his mental game, not to mention wellbeing, he meditates, practises yoga, visualisation, pilates (has there ever been a men’s champion as flexible as the nearly 35-year-old?) and conscious breathing. The latter helped ease his problematic allergy issues, dovetailing with the dietary adjustments.
Given all his mind training, when Djokovic said after the 2019 Wimbledon final that he tried to envisage the partisan Federer crowd calling out his name instead of the Swiss’, it wasn’t a throwaway, humourous line.
Djokovic didn’t commit an unforced error in any of the three tie-breaks, prevailing 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) in five hours for the fifth of his six crowns at SW19.
Also, it marked the third time Djokovic topped Federer at a Grand Slam after saving match points.
Djokovic boasts superior head-to-head records against Federer and Nadal, accounting for 57 of the 1,000 wins. The lone player to get the better of them at least twice in their respective strongholds of Roland Garros and Wimbledon? Djokovic.
“At a technical level, when Djokovic has been at the top of his game, I have to say that I’ve been up against an invincible player,” Nadal admitted in 2017.
From 2011-2021, Djokovic’s record of 146-39 in deciding sets — a 79 per cent win rate — is further testament to his ability of outdoing opponents when the tension peaks.
Djokovic once said he might play until he is 40. With his meticulous methods and skill, he must be more likely than most to get there and pad the win count.
“To last this long and win title after title, that’s something that only the great champions do in any sport,” said Troicki. “I consider him one of the greatest athletes in the world ever. I’m proud to know him.”
ImageImage
STATS & DJOKOVIC'S DAZZLING DOZEN
2007 Montreal Final vs. Federer
Djokovic announced his arrival at the very top of the men’s game by beating the ATP Tour’s Top 3 players in successive matches to win his second ATP Masters 1000 title. After beating Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal in straight sets to reach the final, the Serbian claimed his first career victory over Federer, 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(2).
2011 US Open SF vs. Federer
For the second straight year in New York, Djokovic saved two match points against the Swiss to advance to the final. This time, he came back from two sets down and saved two match points on return, firing that famous crosscourt forehand return winner to save the first at 5-3, 40/15 down in the fifth set. After winning a 7-5 decider, Djokovic claimed his first US Open title by downing Nadal in four.
2012 Australian Open Final vs. Nadal
Over the course of five hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic and Nadal put on the ultimate show in what still stands as the longest Grand Slam final in tennis history. The Serbian was the last man standing at 1:37 a.m. with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 win, earning his third consecutive major title and his third overall in Melbourne.
2012 Shanghai Final vs. Murray
Djokovic saved five match points in the second-set tie-break on the way to a 5-7, 7-6(11), 6-3 victory. There was little more Murray could do to get over the final hurdle, such was his opponent’s repeated brilliance with his back against the wall. The victory all but clinched year-end No. 1 for Djokovic for the second straight season as he gained a measure of revenge following his US Open final loss to the Briton.
2012 Nitto ATP Finals Championship vs. Federer
Coming from a break behind in both sets, Djokovic earned his second Nitto ATP Finals title — and first since 2008 – with a 7-6(6), 7-5 victory over two-time defending champion Federer. Already assured of his year-end position atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Djokovic added the cherry on top with his 75th win and sixth title of the 2012 season.
2013 Australian Open SF vs. Wawrinka
Trailing 6-1, 5-2 in Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic roared back to take the second and third sets before Wawrinka forced a decider. With the match finishing at 1:41 a.m. in Melbourne, Djokovic escaped with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 12-10 victory. He followed that performance with a four-set win over Murray to secure his fourth Australian Open title.
2013 Monte Carlo Final vs. Nadal
Two years after scoring his first clay-court win over Nadal, Djokovic ended the Spaniard’s eight-year reign as Monte Carlo champion with an emphatic 6-2, 7-6(1) victory. After Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead, Nadal saved five set points to avoid a first-set bagel. His comeback attempt fell short as the Serbian dominated the second-set tie-break in a statement victory.
2014 Wimbledon Final vs. Federer
Djokovic ended a run of three straight Grand Slam final losses (and five of the past six) by recording what he called the "most special win of my career". In what he said was the "best quality Grand Slam final" he had played in, Djokovic edged the Swiss after nearly four hours, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4, to win his second Wimbledon crown and reclaim the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking from Nadal.
2016 Roland Garros Final vs. Murray
Djokovic became the eighth man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam with a four-set win over Murray, coming back from a set down to win his 12th Grand Slam title. He also became just the third man to hold all four major titles at the same time as he completed the ‘Novak Slam’ in Paris.
2019 Rome QF vs. Del Potro
In an instant classic at the Foro Italico, Djokovic saved two match points in a second-set tie-break against Juan Martin del Potro, erasing the second with a delicate drop shot winner. In what will likely go down as the final match between these two legends, Djokovic improved his ATP Head2Head record against the Argentine to 16-4 by closing out a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 win.
2019 Wimbledon Final vs. Federer
Again staring down a pair of match points against Federer in the fifth set of a Grand Slam, Djokovic escaped with another improbable victory. The Swiss had the match on his racquet, serving at 8-7, 40/15, but fell victim to one more Djokovic comeback. The match ended in a historic tie-break, staged for the first time at 12-all in the fifth set, with the Serbian coming through, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3).
2020 ATP Cup SF vs. Medvedev
In the most competitive match to date in this high-profile rivalry, Djokovic sent Serbia into the final of the inaugural ATP Cup with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory. Djokovic called the nearly three-hour match “exciting, exhausting, joyful, dreadful all at once”. He backed it up by leading his nation to the title against Spain, scoring a singles win against Nadal and a doubles victory alongside countryman Viktor Troicki.
PAYING TRIBUTE
Rafael Nadal
"The respect is very high because [he] is an opponent [who I've] played a lot of times. We've played in the greatest stadiums, greatest moments for both of us. We shared on court a lot of big moments... [He] is a great rival."
Roger Federer
“Novak, obviously he can play on all the surfaces extremely well... He always brings a certain level of play, which is extremely high, so to beat him you have to be at your best."
Carlos Alcaraz
“Djokovic is one of the best players of history for me. For me, everything that he has achieved for tennis, it's amazing. You just can admire him.”
Richard Gasquet
“Year after year he’s playing better. I started with him on the Tour, he was 17 years old, I was 18. Year after year, I could see he was much better physically, mentally. Backhand, forehand, was improving every shot clearly. That’s why he is maybe the best player in history, with Nadal and Federer, by far.”
Stan Smith
“He’s got the confidence that if things go bad, he’s not going to panic. A lot of people do [panic].”
Goran Ivanisevic
“He’s a guy who the more pressure he has, the better he plays. That is why he is such a champion. That is why for me he is the biggest tennis player in the history of the sport.”
Dusan Lajovic
“I think talent comes in many forms and when you see these top guys, they are very talented in every particular skill that you need for tennis... I think the biggest talent is who can mentally hold longer and right now it looks like Novak is on top of that.”
Laslo Djere
“He has been an excellent motivator for all players from Serbia. He showed us all the way and that everything is possible. He has made an admirable impact.”
Filip Krajinovic
“People love him here, he’s the greatest of all-time and people have a lot of respect for him. They live for his tennis, so it’s not easy to play against him.”
Miomir Kecmanovic
“I’ve trained with him and I have admired his game for so many years. He has helped me by his example as a champion and pushed me to improve.”
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/novak-d ... -1000-wins
