Novak Djokovic skipped Indian Wells and Miami, missing a chance to fight for notable trophies and losing the ATP throne to Carlos Alcaraz. However, Novak earned a ranking milestone this week, becoming the third player with 528 weeks in the top-2! Djokovic joined Roger Federer, passing the Swiss next week and trailing Rafael Nadal, who is far ahead with 596. If Novak collects 17 more months in the top-2, he will match the Spaniard and secure another notable ranking record after conquering almost every related to the no. 1 spot. Djokovic has 380 weeks as world no. 1 and 148 as world no. 2, staying competitive for 16 years and looking good to chase more significant titles for the rest of the season. Novak finished the previous season in the top-5 despite missing four Masters 1000 events and two Majors! Also, Djokovic got no points for his well-deserved Wimbledon title. Despite that, the Serb was in a nice position ahead of 2023, defending no points at the Australian Open and claiming his tenth Melbourne Park crown to write history books.
Novak Djokovic matched Roger Federer’s 528 top-2 weeks.
Novak started the season with the title in Adelaide, defeating Daniil Medvedev and fending off a match point in a thrilling final against Sebastian Korda. The Serb injured his left leg and came to Melbourne with doubts. Novak struggled in the Australian Open’s first three rounds, passing those obstacles and looking much better from round four. Feeling no pain in his leg, Djokovic stormed over Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Tommy Paul to book a place in his tenth Australian Open final. Novak met Stefanos Tsitsipas, with both players seeking the title and the ATP throne. Djokovic used his experience and scored a 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 victory in two hours and 56 minutes for his 22nd Major crown.
Novak saved a set point at 4-5 in the second set and played better in the decisive moments to remain perfect in the Australian Open title duels. Djokovic returned to action in Dubai and lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final, never finding his A-game and failing to match the rival’s pace. As was expected, Novak had to skip Indian Wells and Miami, missing valuable points and allowing Carlos Alcaraz to take the ATP throne with an Indian Wells trophy. However, Djokovic will return to the top if the young Spaniard fails to defend the Miami Open crown. Novak is eager to chase more significant titles for the rest of the season, setting his eyes on Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
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