After beating Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday, Novak Djokovic remained on Centre Court for the post-match interview.
Interviewer Lee McKenzie opened by stating: “The stats do not lie – you’re through to your 37th Grand Slam final, and your 10th here at Wimbledon.”
Applause followed, the crowd knowing they had witnessed something special from the enduring 37-year-old.
Unprecedented, even. No player in history has appeared in more major singles finals than Djokovic; Chris Evert is next on the list with 34, while Roger Federer’s tally of 31 is the next-best among men.
Djokovic is also the first man in the Open era to appear in three Wimbledon finals since turning 35.
He has separated himself from the statistical pack in so many ways, but there remain milestones for Djokovic to attain that would further boost his already-legendary legacy.
“Of course, I'm aware of what's on the line. It always is really. Any Grand Slam that I play, there's always history now on the line,” Djokovic said ahead of his Wimbledon final rematch against Carlos Alcaraz.
“I will try to use that as a fuel to, yeah, play my best tennis.”
When Djokovic returns to Centre Court for Sunday’s final, these are some of the more incredible achievements he has in his sights.
25 major singles title
Djokovic, a 24-time major winner, already owns more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, two clear of Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22.
He also currently owns more than any other woman, too, except one.
Australia’s Margaret Court is also a 24-time major singles champion, with 11 of those titles coming in the Open era. Her 24th came at the 1973 US Open.
Should Djokovic prevail on Sunday, he would end a record which has stood for 51 years, and stand unmatched.
Eight Wimbledon singles titles
Djokovic is also on the cusp of equalling Roger Federer’s tally of eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon.
“Obviously I'm aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledons. I hold seven. History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam,” he noted.
No player in history has won eight singles titles at two different Grand Slam tournaments.
But Djokovic could become the first on Sunday, after already winning 10 Australian Opens.
16 - Novak Djokovic has reached a Men's Singles final at a Grand Slam for the 16th season in his career, surpassing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (15 each) for the outright most of any player in the Open Era. Conquer. #Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/FxK9Gqrfyp
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 12, 2024
Oldest Wimbledon singles champion in the Open era
When Federer beat Marin Cilic in the 2017 Wimbledon final, within a month of his 36th birthday, he became the oldest Wimbledon singles champion in the Open era.
Djokovic would break that record should he overcome Alcaraz.
Ken Rosewall was 39 years old when he played the Wimbledon final of 1974, but was comprehensively beaten by Jimmy Connors.
Federer was 37 years and 340 days old when he faced Djokovic in the 2019 final, and held two championship points, but ultimately lost.
Oldest Grand Slam singles champion in more than 50 years
In fact, it’s almost unprecedented for a player aged 37 or above to win any Grand Slam singles title in the Open era.
Only Rosewall has done so, and that was way back at Australian Open 1972.
Rosewall was aged 37 years and 62 days when he won the 1972 Australian title. Djokovic would be just nine days younger should he triumph on Sunday, at age 37 years and 53 days.
That’s another record Djokovic could break, later this season at the US Open.
Singles title No.99
Unexpectedly, Djokovic is yet to win a title so far in 2024.
But that could change at Wimbledon, and it would deliver him a 99th career singles title.
Only Connors (109) and Federer (103) own more among men in the Open era.