Tennis: Novak Djokovic won 100 tournaments on the ATP circuit, had a bad form

Geneva. Novak Djokovič is constantly proved by all doubts that it cannot be depreciated yet.

After Masters in Madrid, it seemed that a Serbian tennis player was waiting for an unprecedented situation – he could come to Roland Garros to Paris without a single winning match in the clay.

In the end, however, he decided to start in Geneva, where he not only managed the first round, but eventually dominated the whole tournament.

Thus won his jubilee hundredth title in the career. « I have been trying for a long title for a long time. I know the question is just when and where, » Djokovic commented on one of his two main goals at the beginning of the season.

Novak Djokovic could have been rest in tennis pension as a 38-year-old. Last year, after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, he himself admitted that he had achieved all goals in tennis.

But before the 2025 season, he only kept two – the profit of the centenary that has now been fulfilled in Geneva, and the profit of the 25th Grand Slam title, which he could try to Roland Garros, where he needs to be seriously counted again.

Video: Djokovič Match – Hurkacz in the finals in Geneva

The worst clay season of career

Djokovič tried for the hundredth of the title last October in Shanghai, and also this year in Miami, where he lost to the Czech talent and the current unit Jakub Menšík. He also tried it in other tournaments, such as the Australian Open or Dauha.

« I have been trying for a long time for a long time, the last time I fought for it last October, but it will come when the right time comes. Thank God I know that it will come, just the question is when and where, » Djokovic said before the tournament in the Qatar Desert. Since then he got to two finals, but he succeeded on the third attempt.

Nevertheless, many experts did not believe him in Geneva. The Masters in Monte Carlo and Madrid did not pass through the opening opponent and Rome checked out for problems with the form.

“I have to deal with the current situation, it is a new reality for me. It is not easy to win one or two matches, not to think about the advanced phase of the tournament.

However, there are two more Grand Slams in front of me and I will put everything in it, ”Djokovič commented on the situation after Madrid.

Finally, he decided, like last year, start at the ATP 250 in Geneva, not to come to Roland Garros for the first time in his career without winning the clay.

A hundredth title in Geneva

He received a wild card for the tournament after he said goodbye to Andy Murray.

However, he also brought to Geneva a man who stood at the birth of Djokovič, whom we know today – the captain of the women’s Serbian team for the BJK Cup Dušan Vemič, who trained him in 2011 and 2013 together with Slovak coach Marián Vajda.

Djokovič gradually defeated Fucsovics, Arnaldi (who had previously overcame him in Madrid), Norri and in the finals also playing Hubert Hurkacz.

Interestingly, against coach Hurkacz Nicolas Massú, he won his first title in the American two hundred and fifty in Americans.

« I had to sacrifice a lot and go to the fullest to win. Hurkacz had a top of the match during the match, a few balls decided on the winner.

Among his hundred titles we find 24 Grand Slam, 7 Champions Tournaments, 40 « Thousands », 15 « Five Hundreds », 13 ATP 250 tournaments and Olympic gold.

« One hundred titles is a huge number. It is incredible what you did, » Hurkacz, a disappointed finalist, also acknowledged.

25 more. Grand Slam?

Djokovič and his tooted title ranked among the tennis giants – only Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109).

The question is whether he has the ambition to get to the top in this statistic. He loses only three titles on Federer – and symbolically approached him by winning in the country where Federer comes from.

A freshly 38-year-old Djokovic, for whom the title of Geneva is literally a birthday gift, has another goal ahead of him-25 Grand Slam title.

If he won it, it will be detached from Margaret Court and become independent of the historic head of players with the largest number of titles in the Grand Slams.

« Winning the Grand Slam will be a harder challenge, a more demanding task, but I believe I can do it. If I didn’t believe I could face the best in the world, I wouldn’t play anymore, » Djokovic added. After Geneva, its taste and self -confidence are even greater.

The author writes for the portal tbtennis.cz