WEBDESK: Tennis legend and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has secured his 100th ATP singles title. He achieved this milestone by defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the final of the Geneva Open.
With this historic victory, Novak Djokovic becomes only the third player in the Open Era to win 100 or more ATP titles – a feat previously accomplished by Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
In his post-match interview, Djokovic expressed gratitude to his family and coaching team, saying, “Thanks to my wife and kids who skipped school to be with me for just three days. And thank you to my team, not just for standing by me in good times, but especially during the tough moments. I know I was hard to deal with today, but your patience made this win possible – it’s a victory for all of us.”
Since claiming his 99th title when he won the gold medal in the men’s singles at the 2024 Olympics in Paris eight months ago, Djokovic has endured a difficult run of form. He has particularly struggled on clay, recently exiting the Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open in his first match of each tournament.
The win didn’t come easily. Novak Djokovic lost the first set due to a double fault. In the second set, both players held their serves, but Djokovic’s experience gave him the edge in the tiebreak. Despite getting broken early in the third set, he made a strong comeback to seal the match.
“I know it’s a bitter taste in the mouth to lose the match like this,” Novak Djokovic told Hurkacz in his on-court interview afterward. “I think that you were definitely for most of the match, the better player.”
The victory means that, remarkably, the Serbian’s 100th title comes against a player coached by Nicolas Massú, the Chilean former world No. 9 whom Djokovic beat to win his very first ATP title in 2006.
Novak Djokovic will now turn his attention to the French Open, where he will be aiming to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam. He faces American Mackenzie McDonald in the first round, which begins on Sunday.
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