Decoding the dominance of Novak Djokovic at Australian Open
What's the story
World number one Novak Djokovic recently missed out on winning his fourth Grand Slam of 2021. He finished as the runner-up at the US Open after losing to Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic started his incredible run by winning a record-extending ninth Australian Open title, earlier this year. Interestingly, he defeated Medvedev to capture the title. Here, we decode his numbers at the Australian Open.
Numbers
Here are his numbers at Australian Open
Djokovic, who won his first Australian Open in 2008, has the most number of titles (9). He has three more than Roy Emerson and Roger Federer (6 each). The Serbian has a win-loss record of 82-8 at this Slam. He owns a win percentage of 91. Djokovic has the second-most match-wins in men's singles at the Australian Open.
Feats
Perfect record in the finals
Djokovic has a perfect record in the finals of Australian Open (9-0). The Serbian also holds the record for playing the most number of finals at this Slam. Djokovic has registered a rare streak of winning three consecutive Australian Open titles twice in his career. He claimed the prestigious title from 2011 to 2013 and 2019 to 2021.
Start
Maiden Grand Slam title
A young Djokovic made headlines at the Australian Open in 2008. He became the youngest player to reach the semi-finals in all four majors. The Serbian defeated Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final to secure his first Grand Slam singles title. Interestingly, this was the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that Federer or Nadal didn't win a Grand Slam title.
2012, 2013
The 2012 Australian Open final ran for over five hours
Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to win the 2012 Australian Open. The final, which ran for five hours and 53 minutes, became the longest match in the Australian Open history. A year later, Djokovic clinched his fourth Australian Open title, having beaten Andy Murray in the final. The Serbian became the first man in the Open era to win three Australian titles in a row.
Records
Australian Open: Other records of Djokovic
Djokovic holds the record for winning 25 consecutive matches at the Australian Open. His unbeaten streak commenced in 2011 and ended when he lost the quarter-finals in 2014. In 2020, Djokovic earned his 900th tour-level match-win en route to his eighth Australian Open title. He is one of the three players to register the major hard-court title double in a season (2011 and 2015).