5 players who have won 90 or more singles titles in the Open Era ft. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic won his 90th ATP singles title at the Astana Open on Sunday, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final. This was his fourth tournament victory of the season, having previously won the Italian Open, Wimbledon, and the Tel Aviv Open.
The Serb said in his post-match press conference that his aim was always to "reach the highest heights in our sport."
“I dared to dream, actually,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by the ATP's official website. “I always hoped that I would be going to have a great career. Obviously, didn’t know the amount of finals I was going to play, the amount of tournaments I was going to win, but my intention was always to reach the highest heights in our sport.”
With his victory at the Astana Open, Djokovic has joined an elite list of men to have won 90 or more singles titles in the Open Era.
On that note, let's take a look at the five players who have attained this remarkable feat:
#5 Novak Djokovic - 90
Novak Djokovic is the most recent addition to this list as he won his 90th singles title at the Astana Open on Sunday. The Serb has had an extraordinary career, winning 21 Grand Slam singles titles, the most recent of which came at Wimbledon this year.
He's also won a record 38 Masters 1000 titles and the ATP Finals five times. Djokovic is 35 years old but is showing no signs of slowing down. He has won four titles this season despite participating in a limited number of tournaments.
Considering his current form and fitness levels, not many would bet against the Serb ending his career with the highest number of singles titles in the Open Era.
#4 Rafael Nadal - 92
Like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal also won his 90th singles title this season. The feat came at the Australian Open in January, where he produced a miraculous comeback to beat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling final.
Nadal has won 92 singles titles in his glittering career so far, including a record 22 Grand Slam crowns, the latest of which came at Roland Garros in June.
The Spaniard has faced a number of fitness issues over the years but has still managed to play at an elite level. He still needs another 17 titles to equal the record for the highest number of singles titles by a male player in the Open Era, something which could be hard to attain given his injury struggles.
#3 Ivan Lendl - 94
Ivan Lendl is considered among the greats of the game. The Czech-American enjoyed an illustrious career, during which he won 94 singles titles.
Lendl started his professional career in 1978 and won his maiden singles title in 1980. He went on to win at least one tournament each year until 1993, triumphing in 11 competitions in 1985.
Lendl won eight Grand Slam crowns - two at the Australian Open and three each at the French and US Opens. He reached the Wimbledon final twice but lost on both occasions.
Lendl's final singles title was the now-defunct Tokyo Indoor in 1993, where he defeated Todd Martin in the final.
#2 Roger Federer - 103
A legend in his own right, Roger Federer mesmerized spectators on the tennis court for several years. The Swiss' first tournament victory came in 2001 at the Milan Indoor, where he beat Julien Boutter in the final.
Roger Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and dominated the sport for a number of years before Nadal and Djokovic entered the scene.
The 2006 season was the most successful of Federer's career as he won 12 singles titles, including three Majors and four Masters 1000 titles.
The Swiss legend won his 100th title at the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2019, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He thus became only the second player to win 100 or more singles titles during the Open Era.
Federer called it quits on his illustrious career this year after playing his final match at the Laver Cup.
#1 Jimmy Connors - 109
Jimmy Connors holds the record for the highest number of singles titles (109) and the highest number of match wins (1,274) by a male player in the Open Era. The American's first title came in 1972, when he won the now-defunct Jacksonville Open by defeating compatriot Clark Graebner in the final.
Connors attained a huge amount of success throughout his career but surprisingly won only eight Grand Slam singles titles. The 1974 season was perhaps his best, winning 15 titles, including three Majors.
Connors' longevity was incredible as he played well into his forties. The American's 109th and final singles title came in 1992 when he won the Tel Aviv Open.