A cut above the rest, Novak Djokovic continues to redefine excellence in tennis. With a remarkable record of 428 weeks at No.1, 24 Grand Slam titles, and 99 ATP titles, he stands taller than most of his legendary peers. Currently competing at the Australian Open—his favorite tournament where he has claimed victory 10 times—Djokovic is on the hunt for yet another major title. What more could he do to establish his dominance? The answer would surprise you.

While Roger Federer excelled on the grass courts and produced a stunning 92-5 W/L record in 2006; better known as his career-best season with 12 singles titles, Rafael Nadal dominated the clay courts of Roland Garros, clinching an impressive 13 singles titles, a record that is hard to beat. But Novak is built different. He has his own accolades to flaunt and the list doesn’t get any shorter.

As the last-standing champion of their generation, Djokovic remains hungry for more. Recently, he defeated Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the Australian Open. The 19-year-old surprised everyone by taking the first set, sending chills through Rod Laver Arena. However, Djokovic came back to win with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. This victory not only helped him advance to the second round where he will play against Jaime Faria but also helped him set a new record.

According to TennisTV on X, Djokovic has now surpassed WTA legend Serena Williams and his former rival Federer in the race for “Most Grand Slam singles matches” played. With 430 matches under his belt, he is just one ahead of Federer’s 429 and seven ahead of Serena’s 423. He’s poised to hit an all-time high as he advances further in this tournament.

Although Djokovic did finally claim the Olympic Gold medal last year after five attempts, he faced his first winless season since 2005 last season. Now he’s determined to break that streak this time around. Not to mention, he’s working with the Britsh legend, Andy Murray to boost his chances at winning the title this year. But speaking of legends of the past, Djokovic has expressed a desire to connect personally with his biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, highlighting that their relationship goes beyond just records and titles.

Novak makes some post-retirement plans that include his former rivals

With Federer and Nadal now retired, Djokovic is the last man standing. The trio faced each other 49 times in Grand Slam tournaments, including 23 finals. The trio holds a record of 66 major titles between them, fostering mutual respect over the years. In an interview with GQ Sport, he shared, “I do wish to have a drink or two with them and just open up and talk about the things that annoyed—annoyed everyone about me! Or vice versa, whatever it is. Let’s just put it all out there.” He also expressed a desire to hear their personal stories about handling the immense pressures of being at the top. “I observed them as they did observe me. But it’s different when you hear it from the man himself,” he added.

On January 9, the Serb admitted that his relationship with Federer and Nadal had been complex. He said, “Privately it’s kind of going up and down, to be honest. I try to be always respectful and friendly to them off the court.” Early in his career, the Serb felt a lack of acceptance due to his demeanor. Federer later admitted he didn’t give Djokovic the respect he deserved early on because of perceived technical flaws.

Nole accepted their rivalry without resentment: “I understood the messaging that I got, which was we are rivals and nothing else.” Despite their remarkable on-court battles, he noted that bonding off the court has been challenging for the Top 3 players and hopes to make up for lost time eventually. As for retirement? Djokovic isn’t planning on it anytime soon; he remains focused on securing his elusive 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Will he achieve it this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!