In June 2003, Novak Djokovic secured his first professional title, beating Cesar Ferrer Victoria to win a small tournament in Serbia. In 2004, he earned his first win over a top-100 opponent. In 2005, he earned his first win over a top-10 opponent. In 2006, he reached his first Slam quarterfinal, followed by his first Slam final — and his first wins over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — in 2007 and first Slam title in 2008. The accomplishments were slow but steady. And they’ve never really stopped.
In the 15 years or so since his first Slam title, Djokovic has won 23 more. He secured No. 24 on Sunday evening in New York, defeating Daniil Medvedev in three grueling sets and briefly breaking down in tears after hugging his 6-year-old daughter, who had served as a vocal front-row cheerleader during the match. It was a poignant moment, a rebuttal to anyone wondering what he has left to play for after winning more Slams than any man in the history of the sport.
This title ended what constitutes a drought for Djokovic. He had gone five years since his last US Open title, weathering fourth-round exits in 2019 (injury retirement) and 2020 (a famous disqualification), a finals loss to Medvedev in 2021 and a no-show in 2022 after he was refused entry into the country for his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He only genuinely lost one match in Flushing Meadows in that span, but the title eluded him all the same.
Djokovic is officially the first man to win 24 Slam titles. He has tied Margaret Court for the most ever of any player in any era. While Carlos Alcaraz has proved to be his equal, or close to it, in recent meetings, Djokovic will remain either a favorite or co-favorite in each Slam he enters moving forward, even as he approaches his 37th birthday.
Simply put, he is the best men’s tennis player ever. His body is a little less kind to him than it used to be, but his fitness levels remain elite, and his mental and tactical games continue to improve. In other words, this list will probably need yet another update in the coming months and years. But for now, while we wait to see what his final tally might be, let’s rank Djokovic’s 24 Slam titles to date.
24. 2018 US Open
Result: def. Juan Martin del Potro (6-3, 7-6, 6-3)
Still on his rise back to the top following an elbow injury, Djokovic was the No. 6 seed in this…
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