Djokovic’s Fearless 2026 Australian Open Journey: A Complete Record of the GOAT’s Remarkable Achievements

The first Grand Slam of 2026 concluded with 38-year-old Djokovic ending Sinner’s title defense in a thrilling five-set semifinal, marking one of the tournament’s most memorable matches. Although he fell short of claiming his 25th Grand Slam trophy, the Serbian star continued to rewrite history.

Starting from his first-round win over Martinez, this victory made Djokovic the second player in the Open Era to reach 100 wins at the Australian Open. Federer previously led with 102 wins, while Serena Williams tops the women’s list with 92. After this event, Djokovic reached 104 wins, surpassing Federer to hold the record outright.

Last year, Djokovic had already achieved 101 wins at Roland Garros and 102 at Wimbledon. His Australian Open triumph made him the first player in history to reach 100 wins at three different Grand Slams. This year at the US Open, he needs just five more wins to complete the ultimate milestone of 100 wins across all four majors.

This also marks Djokovic’s 76th consecutive successful first-round appearance in Grand Slams, setting the longest streak in the Open Era. The last time he lost in a Grand Slam opening round was at the 2006 Australian Open to American player Godwin, meaning he has not exited in the first round of a major for a full 20 years.

In the second round, Djokovic easily defeated qualifier Maestreli, extending his winning streak in the first two rounds of Grand Slams to 64 matches. Since losing in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open to Istomin, he has not failed to advance past the opening two rounds in nine consecutive years. Additionally, his record against Grand Slam qualifiers improved to an impeccable 32-0.

In the third round, Djokovic overcame Van der Schuurrp, becoming the first player in tennis history to surpass 400 Grand Slam match wins. He stands far ahead of Federer and Serena Williams, who hold 369 and 367 wins respectively, ranking second and third all-time.

This victory marked his 70th appearance in the Round of 16 at Grand Slams, breaking Federer’s record of 69 and securing the top spot in history. Moreover, his 18-0 record in Australian Open third rounds remains perfect, underscoring his dominance at Melbourne Park.

With Menšík withdrawing before the fourth round, Djokovic advanced by walkover, reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals for the 16th time. This surpassed Federer’s record of 15 and made him the male player with the most quarterfinal appearances in Australian Open history. At the same time, his 65th Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance further extended his own Open Era record for men, with Federer trailing at 58.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic progressed after Musetti withdrew, and following a five-set semifinal victory, he ended two-time defending champion Sinner’s 19-match winning streak at the Australian Open. He also snapped Sinner’s 29-match winning streak against Top 10 players (excluding Alcaraz) and a 37-match winning streak at Grand Slams against players other than Alcaraz.

The win over Sinner marked Djokovic’s 20th victory against Top 10 opponents at the Australian Open, tying Nadal’s record at Roland Garros. This makes Djokovic the male player with the most Top 10 wins at a single Grand Slam since the ATP rankings began. After this match, he also maintained his unique status as the only man in the Open Era to achieve a three-peat at the Australian Open. Sinner had aimed for a three-peat this year; Djokovic accomplished this feat twice before, from 2011-2013 and 2019-2021.

Djokovic also prevented Alcaraz and Sinner from meeting for a fourth consecutive Grand Slam final, preserving the Open Era record for consecutive Grand Slam final encounters between male players held by him and Nadal (four straight finals from Wimbledon 2011 to Roland Garros 2012).

Djokovic advanced to his 11th Australian Open final, extending his own record for male players. It was his 38th Grand Slam final overall, further pushing the all-time record for both men and women. At 38 years old, he is the oldest male player to reach the Australian Open final in the Open Era, and the oldest man to reach any Grand Slam final since 1974, when Rosewall reached the US Open final at age 39.

This marks Djokovic’s 17th season with at least one Grand Slam final appearance. He achieved this in 2007, 2008, from 2010 to 2016, 2018 to 2024, and now this season, unmatched by any male player in the Open Era. Federer and Nadal are tied for second with 15 seasons each. Throughout his career, Djokovic has reached 38 Grand Slam finals out of 81 tournaments played, with his first final appearance at the 2007 US Open.

Thanks to his outstanding performance at this Australian Open, Djokovic returned to world No. 3 for the first time since 2024. His total weeks ranked in the top three increased to 757 weeks, spanning over 14 years. He also holds the record for most weeks at No. 1 with 428 weeks, the highest in history!

(Translation by Dato, photos by Li Jianyi)