Novak Djokovic is off to a great start to the 2024 season, recently tying Serena Williams’ record for match wins on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open.
He defeated Australian tennis star Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Popyrin). The victory over Popyrin marked Djokovic’s 91st victory at the Australian Open and his 77th at Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic has now equaled Serena Williams’ record of 77 wins and is second behind Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer’s 93 wins. Serena Williams has won 7 titles at the Australian Open, while Roger Federer has won 6 titles and Novak Djokovic has a record 10 titles.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion shared a photo of himself and Serena Williams on Instagram and celebrated his achievement in an Instagram Story that read, “Winning at Rod Laver Arena 77 games”.
Serena Williams and Roger Federer both retire in 2022. The world number one is now one of three active players on Rod Laver Arena’s list of top 10 players with the most wins.
The other two active players are Rafael Nadal, who has 70 wins (he will miss the 2024 event due to injury at the Brisbane International) and Venus Williams, who currently has 34 wins.
Novak Djokovic to face Thomas Martin Echeverri in Australian Open third round
Djokovic will face 24-year-old Argentine Thomas Martin Echeverry in the third round of the tournament on Saturday (January 20).
2024 will be the Serbian’s 19th Australian Open, and his goal is to win his 11th championship. He opened the Australian Open by defeating 18-year-old Dino Prizmich in the first round and Australian Alexei Popyrin in the second round.
Echeverri, on the other hand, defeated five-time finalist Andy Murray in the first round to advance to the second round, defeating French star Gael Monfils.
Djokovic and Echeverri met twice in the ATP arena, and the Serbian won both times. The first confrontation will take place at the 2023 Rome Masters, and the second confrontation will be at the 2023 Paris Masters.
The 36-year-old ended the 2023 season in fine form, winning three of the four Grand Slams and picking up a further four trophies. He also ended the year at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, his record eighth year-end No. 1 ranking.
In comparison, Echeverry reached a career-high No. 30 last season. His notable achievements include reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open, his best performance at a major tournament.