Novak Djokovic has not lost an Australian Open match in more than six years, an unbeaten run he kept intact with his quarterfinal defeat of Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.
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Djokovic, who has won the AO title in each of his past four visits to Melbourne Park, has secured his place in the semifinals, where he will face either Jannik Sinner or Andrey Rublev.
The world No.1 arrived in Melbourne having won his past 28 matches at the tournament, a streak he extended to 33 thanks to his four-set win over Fritz.
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He therefore equals the long-standing Melbourne Park record held by Monica Seles, who went unbeaten in her first 33 Australian Open matches and scooped four titles in the 1990s.
“It means a lot. I didn't know that I'm sharing this achievement, this record with her. It makes it of course even more special for me. I really love Monica,” Djokovic said.
“I have had Monica in my head when I was growing up in Serbia pretty much every single day, because (my childhood coach) Jelena Gencic, my tennis mother, as I like to call her … worked with Monica when she was young.
“So I was hearing a lot about Monica; Monica this, Monica that, Monica eats this, Monica sleeps this much, Monica practises this way.
“Monica was definitely one of my childhood idols and heroes, and I looked up to her very much. When I got a chance to meet with her first time … I was very nervous. Obviously she speaks our language because she was born in Serbia but spent most of her life, as she's doing now, in the United States.
“I know that she had an incredible career, and particularly she played well in Australia. We all wonder how far she could have went if she didn't have to go through what she went through.
“About Monica, I have only nice words to say about her. I'm really glad that we are sharing this record.”
Djokovic was referring to the traumatic on-court incident Seles endured just three months after she won a third straight Australian Open title in 1993.
Playing at a tournament in Hamburg, she was the victim of a knife attack and forced out of the sport for more than two years.
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She made an inspiring comeback in August 1995 and won her ninth and final Grand Slam singles title at Australian Open 1996, which extended her winning streak at Melbourne Park to 28 matches.
After missing the 1997 and 1998 editions, Seles made it 33 wins in a row with her run to the AO 1999 semifinals – her streak eventually snapped by Martina Hingis.
Seles competed for the last time at Melbourne Park in 2003, just two years before Djokovic debuted in the main draw at Australian Open 2005.
It has become his most prolific tournament, where he has won 10 titles.
Incredibly, Djokovic is undefeated once he reaches the semifinal stage of the Australian Open.
He is a combined 20-0 in AO semifinals and finals, and if such a trend persists at AO 2024, he could boost that winning streak to 35 matches.
Not only would that earn him an all-time record 25th major singles title, but it would put him on the cusp of more history – the opportunity to chase down some of the greatest Grand Slam winning streaks of the Open era.
CONSECUTIVE MATCH WINS AT SLAMS (OPEN ERA)