How does Novak Djokovic's 89th career title stack up against fellow greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Novak Djokovic raced to the title at the 2022 Tel Aviv Open, beating Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets in the final. Playing his first singles tournament since winning his 21st Grand Slam at the Wimbledon Championships, the Serb looked mostly in control all week, winning the ATP 250 event without dropping a set.
The triumph also brought up his 89th career title, the fifth most in the Open Era. Only Jimmy Connors (109), Roger Federer (103), Ivan Lendl (94) and Rafael Nadal (92) have won more silverware than the 35-year-old, with Nadal being the only active player ahead of the 21-time Grand Slam champion on the list.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
- 21 Grand Slams
- 5 ATP Finals
- 38 Masters 1000
- 14 ATP 500
- 11 ATP 250 https://t.co/4rRU0EsgNv
At the age of 35 years and five months (as collected by Twitter user Vansh) at the time of winning his 89th ATP trophy, Djokovic is around the same age that Federer was when he won his 89th. In the Swiss' case, it came at the 2017 Australian Open, when he returned from a long break to win his 18th Grand Slam in scintillating fashion.
What tournament and at what age did the Big 3 win their 89th Career Title?
Federer: 2017 Australian Open - 35 Years 5 months old
Djokovic: 2022 Tel Aviv 250 - 35 Years 5 months old
Nadal: 2022 Melbourne 250 - 35 Years 7 months old
Roughly all the same age. Amazing longevity
Nadal, meanwhile, was a couple of months older when he managed to win his 89th ATP title, which came earlier this year. Starting the season at the Melbourne Summer Set, the Spaniard raced to the ATP 250 title without dropping a set, much like Djokovic did in his recent Tel Aviv triumph.
Among his 89 trophies, the former World No. 1 has five Year-end Championships, a record-breaking 38 Masters 1000 triumphs and 14 ATP 500 hauls. 21 Grand Slams and 11 ATP 250 trophies complete the collection.
Most tour singles titles. Open era men
Jimmy Connors 109
Roger Federer 103
Ivan Lendl 94
*Rafael Nadal 92
*Novak Djokovic 89
John McEnroe 77
Rod Laver 72
Bjorn Borg 66
Ilie Nastase 64
Pete Sampras 64
*Active players
#getty https://t.co/NiCIW04WmZ
Courtesy of his Tel Aviv triumph, the Serb also became the first man in 2022 to win a title on all three surfaces -- the Italian Open (clay), Wimbledon (grass) and the most recent title in Israel (hardcourt).
Novak Djokovic takes on Cristian Garin in his Astana Open opener up next
The 2022 Astana Open will witness Novak Djokovic's participation next, where he will take on Cristian Garin in his opener. Having won both of his previous encounters against the Chilean, the 21-time Grand Slam champion will be fairly confident of booking his place in the second round of the ATP 500 event.
While Botic van de Zandschlup is expected to be the opponent in the next round, Marin Cilic could set up another meeting with the Serb in the quarterfinals. Either Daniil Medvedev or Felix Auger-Aliassime could lock horns with the former World No. 1 in the semifinals, while top seed Carlos Alcaraz is the favorite to reach the summit clash from the top half of the draw.
Having already won a Grand Slam, a Masters 1000 and an ATP 250 title this season, the 35-year-old will be hoping to get his hands on an ATP 500 title before proceeding to the ATP Tour Finals in Turin.
Djokovic has already qualified for the Year-end Championships, considering his status as a calendar year Slam champion. Although he is not in the top eight in the Race to Turin, the Serb has enough points to remain within the top 20, which is enough to make the cut-off for the season-ending competition in his case.