3 milestones awaiting Novak Djokovic at the 2020 Australian Open

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Djokovic hoists aloft a record 7th Australian Open title in 2019
Djokovic hoists aloft a record 7th Australian Open title in 2019

Novak Djokovic is the youngest member of men's tennis' famed Big 3 trifecta. Djokovic's 16 Grand Slam titles is dwarfed only by fellow Big 3 peers Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (19), while the Serb's 280 Grand Slam match wins is only behind that of Federer (357).

The third player ever to play 50 Masters 1000 finals - the first two being Federer (2019 Miami) and Nadal (2019 Coupe Rogers) - Djokovic marked the occasion with his 34th Masters 1000 tile at 2019 Paris-Bercy. The Serb is now only one behind the all-time leader Nadal's tally of 35.

Djokovic emulated Federer by winning 15 Grand Slam titles in a decade when the Serb won 2019 Wimbledon. He overcame the Swiss maestro in the first ever Wimbledon match to feature a fifth set tiebreak, in the process winning his fifth title at the All-England Club.

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The Australian Open, where Djokovic is a record 7-time champion, is one of 14 tournaments where the Serb has a 100% final record. One of 5 players in the Open Era to win the career Grand Slam, Djokovic can pull to within 3 Grand Slam titles of Federer's all-time leading tally of 20 if he wins the title in Melbourne this year.

The Serb could also accomplish the following 3 milestones by going all the way for a record-extending 8th Australian Open crown:

#1 Go level with Federer for the most hardcourt Grand Slam titles

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

The all-time Grand Slam title leader Roger Federer also has the most hardcourt Grand Slam titles (11) of any player, winning 6 at the Australian Open and 5 at the US Open. Djokovic is the next man on that list, with 10 hardcourt Grand Slam titles - winning 7 at the Australian Open and 3 at the US Open.

A title run at the 2020 Australian Open would see Djokovic go level with Federer for most hardcourt Grand Slam titles of any player in history.

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#2 Become the third player ever to win 8 titles at a Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic has already won more Australian Open titles than any man in histor
Novak Djokovic has already won more Australian Open titles than any man in history

Rafael Nadal (12 titles at Roland Garros) and Roger Federer (8 titles at Wimbledon) are the only male players in history to triumph at a Major on 8 or more occasions. Incidentally, the duo is also the only pair to play 12 finals at a Major, Nadal going 12/12 at Roland Garros and Federer putting together an 8/12 record at Wimbledon.

The third member of the Big 3 trifecta, Novak Djokovic, could join Nadal and Federer in an exclusive group of players to have won 8 or more titles at a Major if the Serb lifts his 8th title at the Australian Open in 2020.

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#3 Become the 6th player in the 900 match wins club

Novak Djokovic is nearing the 900-win mark
Novak Djokovic is nearing the 900-win mark

Djokovic, who has 893 singles match wins, would reach the landmark of 900 match wins by going undefeated in 7 matches at the 2020 Australian Open.

This would make the 32-year-old Serb the 6th player overall, and the third active one, to join the exclusive club of 900 match wins. The list is led by Jimmy Connors (1274), Roger Federer (1237), Ivan Lendl (1068), Rafael Nadal (977) and Guillermo Vilas (949).

Federer and Nadal are the only active players with 900 match wins.

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