Novak Djokovic is synonymous with the Australian Open. A 10-time champion at Melbourne Park, he will be looking to extend that total this month.
The Serbian isn't currently at the top the ATP rankings, and was on the end of a shock defeat to Reilly Opelka at the Brisbane International, but he is always a formidable force on the courts that have become a home away from home for him across his glittering career.
Eventual champion Jannik Sinner ended Djokovic’s joint-record 33-match winning run at the AO last year. Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, is already a four-time major winner and Daniil Medvedev was runner-up in 2024. But Djokovic is still more than capable of matching any of them.
Last year brought the retirements of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Djokovic has enlisted the latter as a coach for the 2025 season’s first major. Djokovic beat Murray in four AO finals – will they form a dream team in Melbourne this month?
READ MORE: Djokovic x Murray: The unlikely partnership set to shake up tennis
More to come?
He may have achieved it all, but Djokovic still has much to play for. After failing to win a Grand Slam last year (making 2024 his first season without a major title since 2017), he is on the hunt for the outright record for Grand Slams. One more would see him edge clear of Margaret Court and become the most successful player ever – male or female – at the majors, with 25.
Then there is the allure of a 100th ATP Tour-level crown. Only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (102) have previously hit that milestone. Djokovic sits just one away on 99.
The Serbian won just one title last year, his lowest haul since his first year on the Tour in 2005. It was a big one, though, as he secured his first Olympic gold medal with a win over Carlos Alcaraz on the clay at Roland Garros.
That avenged a defeat to the Spanish star in the Wimbledon final, while Sinner subsequently got the better of Djokovic in a Shanghai Masters showdown.
His Olympic Games triumph took Djokovic to 72 ‘Big Titles’ – those picked up at Grand Slams, ATP Finals, the Olympics and the ATP 1000 Masters. He has now won every ‘Big Title’ on offer, and completed the Career Golden Slam.
The Big Three - the 'Big Titles'
| Novak Djokovic | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slams | 24 | 22 | 20 |
| ATP Finals | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| ATP Masters | 40 | 36 | 28 |
| Olympic Games | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 72 | 59 | 54 |
What's on the line in Melbourne?
Djokovic is one of only two players – alongside his old friend (and foe) Nadal – to have won a single Grand Slam on at least 10 occasions. Nadal won the French Open 14 times.
Djokovic has appeared in the most men’s singles finals at the AO in the Open Era (10), maintaining a pristine winning record across those appearances. He is the only player to reach 10+ singles finals at multiple majors, having also done so at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Djokovic has a 91.3 per cent AO win ratio, losing just nine of his 94 matches. He could surpass Connors (91.7 per cent - W11, L1) for the best men’s singles winning percentage at the tournament.
Only Federer (102) ranks above Djokovic for AO match wins in the Open Era. Djokovic stands alone, though, as the only player to record 90+ singles match wins at all four majors.
He is set to make his 20th appearance in the main AO draw, becoming the fourth player in the Open Era to do so, after Federer (21), Lleyton Hewitt and Feliciano Lopez (20 each). If he reaches the final without taking a walkover, Djokovic will become the second male player in the Open Era to win 100+ AO matches, after Federer (102).
Djokovic could also match a Federer record should he claim the title without a walkover – that would move him onto 191 major match wins, tying the Swiss’ haul. Should he triumph, he would move onto a record 72 hard-court titles, surpassing Federer’s 71.
Whatever way the 2025 edition plays out, Djokovic’s remarkable AO legacy is already secured. But more records remain to be broken before he calls it a day.