Novak Djokovic no doubt hopes that his 20-year anniversary in the main draw at the Australian Open ends with a record 25th Grand Slam title.
His next challenger is none other than Carlos Alcaraz in a gargantuan quarterfinal at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
But before looking forward, let’s roll back the years with a ‘Djokovic Retrospective’ at his most successful major.
Now aged 37, it all started as a teen…
2005
Djokovic qualifies — beating Stan Wawrinka in the process — and loses to eventual champion Marat Safin at Rod Laver Arena in his Grand Slam debut.
“He has great potential” and “he is gonna have a very long career,” are some of the phrases used by the prophetic Safin afterwards.
2006
Well inside the Top 100, Djokovic falls to Paul Goldstein of the US in his opener in four sets.
It’s the last time Djokovic has lost in the first round of a Grand Slam.
2007
Djokovic and Roger Federer face off at a Grand Slam for the first of 17 times. Federer prevails in the fourth-round encounter, though Djokovic would win the last one — in Melbourne in the 2020 semifinals.
2008
The start of his Grand Slam haul. Djokovic beats Roger Federer in the semifinal and ends the dream-like fortnight of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who had ousted Top 10 stalwarts Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet along the way.
2009
Early in his career, Djokovic struggled in the intense heat. He retires against Andy Roddick in the fourth set of their quarterfinal. “I really tried my best but sometimes you can't fight against your own body.”
2010
Djokovic’s body lets him down for a second straight year, exiting in five sets against Tsonga in their rematch due to illness after leading 2-1 in sets.
“It was unfortunate that I couldn't perform on the level that I wanted to in the fourth and fifth set,” said Djokovic.
2011
The year Djokovic turned into Djokovic. As part of a 41-match winning streak to start 2011, Djokovic collects his second major by ousting now coach Murray in the final.
2012
Djokovic and Nadal star in the longest Grand Slam final in history. Djokovic overturns a break deficit in the fifth set to beat the Spaniard in five hours, 53 minutes. Chairs came out during the trophy presentation for the exhausted pair.
READ: The greatest tennis match of all time?
Djokovic ran his winning streak to seven against Nadal, spanning the three different surfaces.
2013
Djokovic is involved in another five-hour thriller at Melbourne Park, edging Wawrinka 12-10 in the fifth set in the fourth round. He trailed 6-1 5-2. “One of the longest, most interesting, and most exciting matches I have played in my career,” he said at the time.
Murray falls to Djokovic again in the final.
2014
A year later, Djokovic and Wawrinka are embroiled in another five-setter. This time, Wawrinka clinches it 9-7 in the fifth to halt a 14-match losing streak against Djokovic.
The Swiss later bags his first major — by snapping a 12-match skid against Nadal.
2015
A double hat-trick of sorts for Djokovic, who plays Wawrinka in a third consecutive five-setter at the Australian Open and then edges Murray for the third time in the final.
2016
Gilles Simon coaxes Djokovic into 100 unforced errors in the fourth round but the Frenchman still suffers defeat. “In terms of a level that I've played, it's the match to forget for me,” said Djokovic.
But he recovered. In the fourth and final chapter of their finals in Australia, Djokovic bests Murray in straight sets.
Months later, he becomes the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles by defeating the Scot again at Roland Garros.
2017
By his standards at the Australian Open, a barren spell starts for Djokovic. In what would turn out to be an injury-filled season for Djokovic, No.117 wildcard Denis Istomin stuns the Serb in five sets in the second round.
Istomin remains the lone player ranked outside the Top 100 to ever beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam.
2018
Beset by elbow woes and confronting a bespectacled opponent with a similar game to his — Hyeon Chung - Djokovic loses in the fourth round.
A month later, he underwent surgery. He caps his resurgence by winning Wimbledon.
2019
Djokovic authors one of his most emphatic performances in a Grand Slam final, upending Nadal in two hours, four minutes to become the first man to take seven Australian Open titles. He conceded eight games, still his fewest in a Grand Slam final.
“Under the circumstances, it was truly a perfect match,” said Djokovic, who committed a measly 14 unforced errors in the semifinals and final.
2020
Dizziness strikes Djokovic in the final against Dominic Thiem. Yet he overturns a 2-1 deficit in sets to become the first man to win a Grand Slam in three different decades.
Thiem, however, achieves his goal of winning a major later in the year at the US Open, overcoming the second seed at AO 2025, Alexander Zverev.
2021
An abdominal injury sustained against Taylor Fritz in the third round seems to jeopardise Djokovic’s chances of completing the match — not to mention landing a ninth Australian Open title.
In another example of his resilience, though, Djokovic battled through the pain and ended Daniil Medvedev’s 20-match winning streak in the final.
An engrossing first set (7-5) gave little indication that it would be the quickest Grand Slam final Djokovic has ever won.
But Medvedev ends Djokovic’s bid for the calendar year Slam in New York.
2023
Djokovic triumphs at the Adelaide International ahead of the Australian Open but hurts his hamstring in the final against Sebastian Korda.
After physical battles against Roberto Carballes Baena and Enzo Couacaud in the first two rounds in Melbourne, Djokovic accelerates and topples Stefanos Tsitsipas to get to 10 Australian Open titles.
2024
Jannik Sinner ends Djokovic’s reign in the semifinals, helped by taking the first two sets in under one hour, 20 minutes.
Djokovic finishes 2024 without a Grand Slam title for the first time in a season since 2017.
READ: The story of when Sinner dethroned Djokovic at AO 2024
However, he wins his long sought-after Olympic gold medal by besting Alcaraz in two eventful tiebreak sets.
How will the 2025 edition conclude for Novak?