Three of Novak Djokovic greatest records
Sunday's victory against Roger Federer in Cincinnati made Novak Djokovic the first man to win all Masters 1000 titles on the ATP World Tour. The 31-year-old Serb has, of course, set several amazing records during his glittering career and has taken the game to heights never seen before.
Over the past two years, Novak has had his fair share of struggles, having to deal with a persistent elbow injury and a severe dip in form. It now looks as though the Serb has found the form that made him almost invincible between 2014-2016. His movement and serve have improved significantly over the last eight months, especially at this year's Wimbledon where he won his thirteenth major title.
He also made amends for the five previous defeats in Cincinnati finals, where he had lost three times to Roger Federer and twice to Andy Murray at the same stage. With the 31-year-old making history once more, here is a look back at some of the other records held by the Serbian superstar.
Holding all four majors at the same time
On 5th June 2016, Novak Djokovic made tennis history, as he became only the eighth man ever to win all four tennis majors. Some of the illustrious names on that list include Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi and Roy Emerson, with this achievement being a sign of true tennis royalty.
During his win over Andy Murray, however, Novak achieved a feat not even matched by Federer or Nadal, as he became the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time. Novak's run of majors stretched from Wimbledon 2015 to the 2016 French Open, as he reigned supreme for nearly a year and a half and left everybody trailing in his wake.
Djokovic's win in Paris was a show of talent, technical ability and, of course, persistence. Nole had previously lost three finals at Roland Garros, with the Serb suffering at the hands of Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka. After three final defeats at the same tournament, many would have resigned to failure and would have lost the energy needed to pursue the title once more. The former World No.1 was not to be denied, as he raised his level to new heights and eventually completed the set.
There was an overwhelming feeling of relief with Djokovic's victory given the heartbreaking losses he suffered in the years prior. Rafael Nadal's invincibility on clay and a one-in-a-million performance from Stan Wawrinka left Djokovic in tatters, as he wondered what it would take to lift the title he craved so badly.