6 of Novak Djokovic's greatest accomplishments
Novak Djokovic will commence his US Open 2020 campaign against Damir Dzumhur on Monday as he bids to win his 18th Grand Slam title and move to within two of Roger Federer's record.
Djokovic is in the midst of an incredible season and enters the US Open riding a 23-match win streak, with the ATP Cup, Australian Open, Dubai Open, and the Cincinnati Masters titles under his belt.
As the Serb continues to send records tumbling, we take a look at some of his greatest achievements -- those that will be hard for any other player to match.
#6 Novak Djokovic has a winning head-to-head against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic boasts a winning record against both of his closest rivals. The Serb has a 27-23 record against Roger Federer and has not been defeated by the Swiss at a Grand Slam since the Wimbledon semi-final in 2012.
He boasts an impressive 13-6 record against the Swiss in tournament finals (4-1 in Grand Slam finals) and is the only player to have defeated Federer at all four Grand Slam events.
Djokovic has fared just as well against Rafael Nadal and holds a 29-26 win-loss record against the Spaniard. Djokovic has not been defeated by Nadal at a Grand Slam event since the final of Roland Garros in 2014.
Between 2015 and 2017, Djokovic embarked on an incredible run against Nadal, winning seven straight matches. He has also defeated Nadal seven times on clay, more than any other player.
#5 Won three or more consecutive Grand Slams thrice in his career
Only five players in the history of men's tennis have won three or more consecutive Grand Slams in the Open era - Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer (twice), Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic; the Serb is the only player to have done it thrice.
Djokovic first achieved the feat in 2011-12 when he followed up his maiden Wimbledon title with the US Open and the Australian Open the following year. He was able to go one better in 2015-16, winning four Grand Slam titles on the trot beginning with his victory at Wimbledon, where he defeated Roger Federer in five sets in the final.
After undergoing surgery on his elbow in 2018, Djokovic returned to the winners' circle at Wimbledon following which he claimed the US Open and Australian Open titles.
#4 41-match unbeaten run
Novak Djokovic's current 23-match win streak is highly impressive but pales in comparison to the 41 straight victories he managed at the start of the 2011 season.
Djokovic won the Australian Open, completed the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami, and then went on to win Masters titles in Rome and Madrid before suffering his first defeat of the season, at the hands of Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Djokovic bounced back strongly and went on to win his first Wimbledon title, which he followed up with victories at the Rogers Cup and the US Open to complete one of the most dominant seasons in the history of men's tennis.
#3 Accrued 16,950 points as World No. 1, more than World No. 2 and 3 combined
When Novak Djokovic lifted the French Open title in 2016, he became one of just three players to have won four Grand Slam titles in a row. The victory also swelled his career ranking points to 16,950, more than the combined total of World No. 2 Andy Murray, who had 8915, and World No. 3 Roger Federer, who had 6655.
#2 Two Career Golden Masters
Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the final of the 2018 Cincinnati Masters to etch his name in the record books as the only player to have completed the Career Golden Masters -- winning all nine Masters 1000 titles at least once.
The Serb went on to further his reputation as one of the greatest players of all time when he defeated Milos Raonic in this year's Cincinnati final to become the first player to win each of the Masters 1000 titles at least twice.
#1 Holder of four Grand Slams on three different surfaces
As mentioned above, when Novak Djokovic won the 2016 French Open, he became the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 -- third overall -- to triumph at four consecutive Grand Slams.
While the Serb has not yet managed to win the Calendar Slam (all four Majors in the same year), he did become the first player to hold four Slam titles on three different surfaces. When Budge and Laver achieved the feat, synthetic hard courts were not in existence and the US Open was played on grass.