The Grand Slam master returns

Two months without Novak Djokovic on the TV screen is too long, although no one measures time better than the Serbian. At 38 years old, in this Australian Open, he will need just one match to close a circle he has been drawing since 2005.

If you know the record I am referring to, enjoy the journey. If you have no idea, stay until the last paragraph. I will guide you, fact by fact, to demonstrate why Novak Djokovic is the most important player in the history of Grand Slams. Always situated within the confines of the Open Era, the Serbian tennis player has achieved the goal of dominating every parameter linked to these tournaments, from the number of titles to the presence in major events. And he will top it off at this 2026 Australian Open.

He won’t need to win the tournament because regardless of the outcome, he will remain the player with the most Grand Slam titles in history thanks to the 24 trophies he holds in his display case. Tied with the 24 of Margaret Court on the women’s circuit but above the 22 of Rafa Nadal and the 20 of Roger Federer. In the battle for the GOAT –does anyone have doubts?– this was the key race, where he claimed the top spot on the podium years ago and won’t be stepping down anytime soon.

Going back a step, Novak is also the player with the most Grand Slam finals in history, a record he hasn’t extended for many months but is not in danger of losing. With 37 finals, the Belgrade native surpasses the 34 of Chris Evert, the 33 of Serena Williams, the 32 of Martina Navratilova, and the 31 of Roger Federer and Steffi Graf. Another area that seems well covered for the long term although, like fine wine, he insists on improving it.

Moving down the ladder, do you know who occupies the next rung? Indeed, Novak Djokovic is also the player with the most Grand Slam semifinals. A total of 52 occasions that Nole reached the top four in these tournaments, as he did last season in each of the four major venues. The podium is completed by Roger Federer with 46 semifinals and Rafa Nadal with 38 on the men’s side. In the women’s category, Chris Evert shares the record with her other 52 Grand Slam semifinals.

Let’s continue on the same path and now we arrive at the quarterfinals, a round where Djokovic might not need much, but just in case, the numbers are there. Our protagonist leads with 63 Grand Slam quarterfinals, surpassing Roger Federer’s 58 and Chris Evert’s 54. Rafa Nadal would be next on the list with a total of 47, one of the most consistent players in history but without the same longevity as the Serbian has been showing. If you are already overwhelmed by Novak’s glory at this point, wait, as there’s more to come.

Fourth round, the famous second week, where everyone wants to be. Where Nole has spent most of his professional career. Currently, he boasts a total of 69 Grand Slam fourth-round appearances, a number he shares with Roger Federer and far surpasses Rafa Nadal.

Let’s complete the picture without too many detours. Novak Djokovic is also the player with the most third-round appearances in Grand Slams after equaling the 74 that Roger Federer held. He is also the player with the most second-round appearances in Grand Slams, with a total of 78, exceeding Roger Federer’s 75 and Rafa Nadal’s 65. And what about the first round? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

When Novak Djokovic steps onto the Rod Laver Arena tomorrow to face Pedro Martínez, at that moment, he will match the 81 participations in Grand Slam main draws that Feliciano López and Roger Federer shared until now. By the way, this list also includes Richard Gasquet (75), Stan Wawrinka (75), and Fernando Verdasco (71), three names I feel like mentioning so that people appreciate them properly.

In conclusion, starting from this Monday, January 19, 2026, there will be no player on this planet with more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic. Nor with more finals, semifinals, quarterfinals, fourth rounds, third rounds, second rounds, or participations, in general. Someone might equal some statistics, but no one will surpass him. It’s the empire of the king, the master of the Grand Slams. An era of domination traced over a twenty-year journey.

What record remains for Novak Djokovic to break?

In Grand Slams, not many, but we can still find some. Clearly, Novak Djokovic is also the player with the most victories in the category, with a total of 397, surpassing Roger Federer’s 369, Serena Williams’ 365, Rafa Nadal’s 314, and Martina Navratilova’s 306. What’s next? Well, he would simply need to take over the individual records of each of the majors.

Interestingly, as of today, the Serbian is not the player with the most victories in any of the Grand Slams. Let’s see who leads in each of the four major tournaments.

• Australian Open: Federer (102), Djokovic (99)
• Roland Garros: Nadal (112), Djokovic (101)
• Wimbledon: Federer (105), Djokovic (102)
• US Open: Connors (98), Djokovic (95)

It’s striking to see that Novak always comes in second in this tally of victories, but in a couple of years, he could easily lead all four lists. The same goes for dividing the victories by surface:

• Hard court: Djokovic (194), Federer (191)
• Clay court: Nadal (112), Djokovic (101)
• Grass court: Connors (107), Federer (105), Djokovic (102)

Here, the Belgrade native already leads the statistic for the player with the most victories in Grand Slams on hard courts, but he would only need a couple of seasons to conquer clay and grass as well. At least, to try. Will the jackal resist any achievement? As long as there’s something worth fighting for, you’ll find him there, causing a stir.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Vuelve el amo de los Grand Slam