"Not sure if that would happen" - Sports journalist on Djokovic overtaking Federer's Rod Laver Arena record
Novak Djokovic is used to rewriting the record books, and he broke several records by winning this year's Australian Open. But Matt Trollope reckons there is one record held by Roger Federer, related to Rod Laver Arena, that the Serb may never beat.
Trollope, for the uninitiated, is an AusOpen.com journalist who has been closely monitoring the record tables at the Grand Slam Down Under.
Djokovic returned with a bang at the 2023 Australian Open, eventually lifting the trophy for a record 10th time. The Serb, who could not defend his title in 2022 as he was deported from Australia due to his unvaccinated status, won the title this year with relative ease - and that too while carrying a hamstring injury.
In the process, Djokovic equaled Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 singles Grand Slam titles, reclaimed the World No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings, and became only the second man in history after Nadal at Roland Garros (14) to win a Grand Slam 10 times.
The Serb already has his name on numerous records, and he continues to inch closer to breaking and creating several more. But while speaking on the AusOpen.com podcast, Matt Trollope claimed that the record for most match wins at Rod Laver Arena, currently held by Federer (93), is unlikely to be broken by Djokovic.
“I started monitoring the charts before the 2023 Australian Open started,” said Trollope. "Djokovic stood fourth at 68 wins on Rod Laver Arena, and by playing and winning all 7 of his matches on the court, he is now third in the rankings with 75 victories. He has leapfrogged Nadal in the rankings and is only two wins behind Serena Williams."
Before this year’s tournament, Djokovic stood fourth behind Nadal, who has 70 victories on the famous court. However, Trollope is unsure whether Djokovic can clinch the record by the end of his career.
Federer’s staggering 93 wins mean that Djokovic will require three more Australian Open titles to break the record, while playing all his matches at Rod Laver Arena.
“If he’s at 75 wins now, he would probably need three more Australian Opens to overtake Roger Federer,” Trollope said. “Or two and a half (maybe reach a quarterfinal). That would put Novak at almost 38 years of age, so I’m not sure if that would happen. But, he looks indestructible."
"As someone who looks at the world realistically, I don’t know how they let him (Djokovic) in" - Tennis coach Paul Annacone on vaccination requirements in the US
Novak Djokovic will not be allowed into the United States due to the country’s current regulations, which state that unvaccinated travelers will not be granted entry until May 11, 2023.
But the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who was deported from Australia on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status, is hoping to get a special permit to play the Masters 1000 ‘Sunshine Double.’
The Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open will be held in March 2023, and Djokovic has applied for a special permit to be able to enter the US to play at both tournaments. The Serb is still on the entry list for Indian Wells, where he has not competed since 2019.
Tennis coach Paul Annacone, who has worked with Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Sloane Stephens in the past, is of the opinion that letting Djokovic into the US only because of his elite sportsman status makes no sense.
“As a tennis fan, I want him here,” Annacone said on the Tennis Channel. “As someone who looks at the world realistically, I don’t know how they let him in and don’t let everyone in then. That just doesn’t make sense.”
Djokovic is awaiting the US authorities' decision on whether he will be allowed to compete in the two Masters 1000 tournaments next month. However, he will most likely be allowed to play at the 2023 US Open later this year.