3 milestones Novak Djokovic achieved by reaching Australian Open 2023 final
Novak Djokovic steamrolled into the 2023 Australian Open finals with a straight-sets victory over Tommy Paul in the semifinals on Friday, 27 January.
The unseeded American put up some resistance in the first set and managed to break his opponent's serve twice. He fought back from 1-5 down, taking the set very nearly towards a tiebreak. However, there was little that he could do against the Serb's clear dominance and the formidable power and precision of his strokes once he managed to take the first set with a final break of serve.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion, who has been in one of his finest runs of form in the tournament, took Paul down comfortably 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, in two hours and twenty minutes to reach his 10th final at Melbourne Park.
In his on-court interview afterwards, Jim Courier referred to Djokovic's first Australian Open title in 2008 and asked him if had imagined then that he would still be around, aiming for another one in 2023. The World No. 5 replied that he hadn't, and credited his family and his team for making it possible.
"I don’t think I’d have imagined this. What can I say?I’m grateful. I cherish every moment. Without my family, without my team, things wouldn’t be possible,” he said.
He also thanked the crowd for their support and stated that it meant a lot to him to play at the highest level on "one of the biggest courts in the world."
"It means everything. Especially at this stage of my career," he said."I need that energy. I’m really thankful to be able to play at this level, on one of the biggest courts in the world."
Imperious.
@DjokerNole's perfect record in Melbourne Park semifinals continued on Friday as he booked a 10th tilt at #AusOpen glory.
#AO2023
Djokovic will now square off against World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title on Sunday, 29 January.
Without further ado, let's take a look at some of the milestones that the 9-time Australian Open champion has achieved with his win:
#1 Novak Djokovic becomes the 4th oldest male player in the Open Era to reach the final at the Australian Open
After defeating 25-year old Tommy Paul, the 36-year old became the fourth oldest male player in the Open Era to reach the final at the Australian Open. Two-time title winner Ken Rosewall was 37 years old when he last won in 1972 against the then 36-year old Mal Anderson.
4 - @DjokerNole has the become the 4th oldest male player in the Open Era to reach the final at the Australian Open, younger only than Ken Rosewall (1972 and 1971), Mal Anderson (1972) and Roger Federer (2018). Invincible. https://t.co/Hx3Wrv3lE4
Former champion Roger Federer too was 36 years old when he lifted the trophy in 2018. Interestingly, Federer became the oldest World No. 1 as a result of the triumph, a feat that Djokovic may also accomplish if he wins on Sunday.
#2 Longest men's singles main draw winning streak at the Australian Open
The Serb has broken Andre Agassi's record for the longest men's singles main draw winning streak at the Australian Open in the Open Era, with 27 straight wins since 2019.
27 - @DjokerNole now has the longest men's singles main draw winning streak at the Australian Open in the Open Era (27 matches since 2019), eclipsing Andre Agassi 26 matches between 2000 and 2004. Crazy.
#AusOpen https://t.co/d73YcBxngj
Agassi previously held the record with a winning streak of 26 matches between 2000 and 2004. The American won the title at Melbourne Park in 2000, 2001 and 2003, skipping the 2002 edition. He also reached as far as the semifinals in 2004 before falling to Marat Safin.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has the title in Melbourne in 2019, 2020 and 2021 following a fourth-round exit in 2018. After skipping the 2022 edition due to visa troubles, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has now won six straight matches this year for the loss of just one set.
#3 5th-most ATP-level matches played in the Open Era
The Australian Open semifinal was also Novak Djokovic's 1248th ATP-level match, making him the player with the fifth-most ATP-level matches played in the Open Era.
5 - @DjokerNole will equal in this match Guillermo Vilas as the 5th player in the Open Era with the most ATP-level matches played (1248); only Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal have played more. Top.
#AO2023 https://t.co/dodo2JqZtU
The top spot is held by Jimmy Connors, who has played 1,557 ATP-level matches. Roger Federer is in second spot with 1,526 matches, followed by Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal in third (1310 matches) and fourth place (1288 matches) respectively.
Nadal and Djokovic are the only two active players left on the list, leaving them capable of climbing up the spots before eventually hanging up their racquets.