Djokovic Ties Nadal, Makes Case for Greatest Player Ever

Novak Djokovic took another step towards becoming the greatest men’s tennis player of all-time on Sunday.

A year after being deported from the country for being unvaccinated, Djokovic dominated in Rod Laver Arena to win his 10th Australian Open Championship.

With the victory, the Serbian tennis player officially tied Rafael Nadal for the all-time record with 22 Grand Slam titles on Sunday. Djokovic also regained the No.1 spot in the ATP rankings.

This marks the 374th week that Djokobvic will be leading the ATP standings.

Djokovic Ties Nadal with 22 Grand Slam Titles

On Sunday, Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to win his 10th Australian Open title. Djokovic stretched his unbeaten streak to 28 matches, which is the longest run in the Open Era.

Not only did he tie Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles in men’s history with 22 but he surpassed Nadal with the most ATP tour-level titles. Djokovic won his 93rd title on Sunday and has the fourth most ATP Tour title wins.

Only two women, Margaret Court (24) and Serena Williams (23) have more titles than them.

After 1 year of being denied entry into the country, Djokovic spoke of the importance of winning at Melbourne Park.

“This probably is the, I would say, biggest victory of my life.” The Serbian tennis player said.

“This has been one of the most challenging tournaments I’ve ever played in my life, considering the circumstances. Not playing last year; coming back this year, and I want to thank all the people that made me feel welcome, made me feel comfortable, to be in Melbourne, to be in Australia.”

Djokovic Rise to No.1 is the Biggest Jump in ATP Ranking in 50 Years

For the first time since last June, Djokovic is atop the ATP rankings. With his record 10th win at the Australian Open, Djokovic rose from World No.5 to World No.1, which is the biggest jump in ATP history in the last 50 years since 1973.

If Djokovic can hold on to the World No.1 title until February 20th, he will tie Stefanie Graf’s record for most weeks at World No.1 in history at 377 weeks. He also has the opportunity to break the record for both men’s and women’s if he remains at the World No.1 spot through the week of February 27.

Is Djokovic Considering Retirement?

At the age of 36, Djokovic is still dominating the game. His coach Goran Ivanisevic recently announced that Djokovic could be challenging for Grand Slam until he’s 39. According to his coach, the Serbian tennis player is looking forward to the battle with Nadal to finish with the most majors.

“Definitely two, three more years. The way he’s taking care of his body, the way he approaches everything, the food, it’s amazing. It’s unbelievable the level” Ivanisevic said after the Australian Open.