The unranked American put up some resistance in the first set and managed to take the opponent’s serve twice. He came back from 1-5, almost bringing the set to a tie-break. However, he couldn’t do much against the Serbian’s sheer superiority and the power and accuracy of his shots.
Djokovic is showing an exceptional level of tennis in this tournament and ended up convincingly beating Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours and twenty minutes to reach his 10th Australian Open final.
Djokovic will face world number 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title on Sunday, January 29, so it’s worth remembering what Novak has already achieved since reaching the final and what he can achieve if he beats the Greek.
1 Novak Djokovic has become the 4th oldest male player in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final.
After beating 25-year-old Tommy Paul, 36-year-old Djokovic became the fourth oldest Open Era player to reach the Australian Open final. Two-time defending champion Ken Rosewall was 37 when he last won in 1972. Mel Anderson reached the final aged 36, as did 2018 winner Roger Federer. Interestingly, Federer became the oldest world No. following that triumph, and Djokovic could also accomplish that feat if he wins on Sunday.
#2 Longest Main Draw Men’s Singles Winning Streak at The Open Championship Australian tennis.
The Serb broke Andre Agassi’s record for the longest winning streak in men’s singles main draw at the Australian Open with 27 straight wins since 2019.
Andre Agassi has 26 victories between 2000 and 2004. The American won the title at Melbourne Park in 2000, 2001 and 2003, missing the 2002 tournament. He also reached the semi-finals in 2004 before losing to Marat Safin.
Djokovic, meanwhile, won the title in Melbourne in 2019, 2020 and 2021 after being knocked out of the fourth round in 2018. He missed the 2022 tournament.
No. 3 Fifth in most ATP level matches played in the Open Era.
The Australian Open semi-final was also Novak Djokovic’s 1,248th ATP-level match, making it the fifth most-played ATP-level match in the open era.
First place goes to Jimmy Connors, who has played 1557 matches at ATP level. Roger Federer ranks second with 1,526 games, followed by Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal third (1,310) and fourth (1,288) respectively.
Nadal and Djokovic are the only two active players remaining on the roster, giving them room to climb before eventually retiring from the sport.
These achievements have already won Novak after reaching the final, but he will also strive for new ones by winning the anniversary Australian Open.
No. 1. First place in the ATP ranking
On Sunday, Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas will fight for the top spot in the ATP rankings. Whoever wins the match will dethrone Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serb was fifth in the world before the Australian Open and he is now in second. However, a victory in the final will allow him to rise to the top.
Djokovic holds the record for most weeks at the top of the ATP rankings (373). He lost the lead to Daniil Medvedev last June but has a good chance of regaining it on Sunday given his recent form.
No. 2. Tenth Australian Open title.
Djokovic will challenge for his 10th Australian Open title on Sunday. The Serb has already won the Asia-Pacific Major nine times, more than any other tennis player in the history of the tournament.
If Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, he will win his 10th title in Melbourne and become only the second person to win ten or more times at various Grand Slams. He will also become the third player, male or female, to win the same major tournament ten or more times.
No. 3. 22nd Grand Slam title equaling Nadal’s incredible record.
Perhaps the biggest step Novak Djokovic will aim for on Sunday is a record 22nd Grand Slam singles title.
The Serb won his 21st major at Wimbledon last year, closing in on Rafael Nadal. Djokovic has a very good chance of matching the Spaniard in Melbourne. Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to do something really special to prevent him from winning his 22nd Major.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
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I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
