Novak Djokovic becomes 1st male player to reach at least 9 finals at two Grand Slams

Novak Djokovic moved one step closer to completing the Calendar Grand Slam after defeating familiar foe Alexander Zverev in a hard-fought five-set semifinal at the US Open. Perhaps more importantly though, the Serb is now one win away from claiming sole ownership of the all-time Grand Slam record.

With his win over Zverev, Novak Djokovic moved into his 31st Major final, tying Roger Federer's record for most appearances in a Grand Slam title clash. The Serb also became the first male player to reach at least nine finals at two Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open and the US Open.

Djokovic is 9-0 in Australian Open finals over the course of his career; the Serb's record in championship matches in Melbourne is second only to Rafael Nadal's 13-0 streak in Roland Garros finals.

Djokovic's record in US Open finals, on the other hand, is poor by his lofty standards (3-5).

Wimbledon is the Serb's second most successful Slam. Djokovic has reached seven finals at SW19 and lifted the title on six occasions. The World No. 1 has also reached six finals at Roland Garros, winning two of them.

📝 Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸 se convierte en el primer tenista con nueve presencias en finales de dos Grand Slam diferentes (All-Time/Men’s Singles):Australian Open | 9Roland Garros | 6Wimbledon | 7US Open | 9 pic.twitter.com/H9CbGRB2bb

— MisterOnly.Tennis (@OnlyRogerCanFly) September 11, 2021

Roger Federer, meanwhile, has reached at least seven finals at three Majors -- Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Novak Djokovic's record at Slams is overshadowed by Serena Williams

While Novak Djokovic might be the most versatile male player, 23-time Major winner Serena Williams can lay claim to that title on the women's side.

Serena Williams poses with the 2012 Wimbledon trophy

Over the course of her career, which has spanned more than two decades, Serena Williams has reached a whopping 33 Major finals, winning 23 of them.

Williams is the only player, male or female, to have reached at least 10 finals at two different Grand Slams, doing so at Wimbledon and the US Open. The American reached the final at Wimbledon on 11 occasions and the US Open 10 times.

22-time Major winner Steffi Graf, who was known for her aggressive game and world-class slice, also enjoyed success at multiple Slams over the course of her 16-year career. The German reached the final at Wimbledon and Roland Garros nine times each.

Apart from Williams and Graf, Chris Evert is one of the few other players who was truly versatile. The 18-time Major winner reached the final at Wimbledon on 10 occasions, and Roland Garros and US Open nine times each.

9. Ils se sont qualifiés au moins 9 fois en finale de deux tournois du Grand Chelem ou plus (ère Open) :🇺🇸 Chris Evert : 9 🇫🇷 | 10 🇬🇧 | 9 🇺🇸🇩🇪 Steffi Graf : 9 🇫🇷 | 9 🇬🇧🇺🇸 Serena Williams : 11 🇬🇧 | 10 🇺🇸🇷🇸 Novak Djokovic : 9 🇦🇺 | 9 🇺🇸#USOpen #HomeOfTennis pic.twitter.com/vNZUnJ5QKh

— Jeu, Set et Maths (@JeuSetMaths) September 11, 2021