Novak Djokovic dominance highlighted by incredible top 20 statistic
Novak Djokovic may be set to finish 2024 without adding to his record-breaking total of 24 Grand Slam titles, but he is the proud owner of a remarkable record that highlights the dominance he holds over his rivals.
Djokovic is down to No 4 in the latest ATP Rankings, with his hopes of returning to the top of that list unlikely given his limited tournament schedule at the back end of his career.
Yet a legacy of the dominance he has held over all his rivals in recent years has emerged, as he has a winning record against each and every player in the top 20 of this week’s rankings.
Djokovic has been tested by world No 1 Jannik Sinner and No 3 Carlos Alcaraz over the last couple of years and has lost against the two players who shared the Grand Slam titles this year, but he still has a winning record against both young guns.
Sinner beat Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals last year and also at the Australian Open in January, but he is still 4-3 behind in their head-to-head meetings.
Djokovic also leads 4-3 in his clashes with Alcaraz, while he has an 8-4 winning record against new world No 2 Alexander Zverev.
World No 5 Daniil Medvedev is another player who has given Djokovic some trouble in recent years, but the Serbian is 10-5 ahead in their clashes.
Djokovic’s dominance over his rivals has helped to promote his aura in recent years, with some opponents intimidated when they take on the most successful tennis player of all-time.
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Yet former world No 1 John McEnroe has suggested the Serbian is losing some of his fear factor as rivals now believe they can beat him.
“It’s difficult to say what we can expect from him next year,” McEnroe told Tennis365 at a Eurosport event.
“First of all, you never want to count him out, but this is certainly the first time that you could ask the question if his days of winning majors are over.
“He’s got his family and you mention the word motivation. How long can this guy stay motivated? I’m amazed he’s kept it this long, actually.
“Whether he does win majors again or he doesn’t. He won three of the four last year and now we are saying he might never win another one.
“I would be kinda surprised he did win more majors because of his age. At some point, that catches up to you.”
Djokovic is set to return to action this week as he will play for Serbia in their Davis Cup play-off clash against Greece.
It is unclear where he will next play, with his entry for the Shanghai Masters giving him the option to play in the next ATP 1000 tournament.
If he has ambitions to qualify for the ATP Final in Turin, where he was a champion last year, he might need to make the trip to China.
Yet many would be surprised if Djokovic plays in Shanghai, as he has made it clear that he is not motivated by ATP 1000 tournaments at this stage of his career.
Djokovic is currently at No 9 in the ATP Race list, with only the top eight players making it through to the lucrative end-of-season finals.
