E-Paper
Novak Djokovic ties Roger Federer's towering grand slam record after surviving first-set scare in US Open, through to R3
Novak Djokovic saw off American qualifier Zachary Svajda to tie Roger Federer's hard court slam wins record, and book his place in the next round in New York.
Novak Djokovic eased through to the third round of the US Open as he put away American qualifier Zachary Svajda in four sets at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday. The all-time leader in men’s singles titles dropped the first set in a tiebreaker, but bounced back quickly before taking advantage of his opponent cramping up to make it a quick night’s work in New York.
This was Djokovic’s 191st win on hard courts in his grand slam career, a number that sees him tie Roger Federer for the most wins on this surface in grand slams during the Open Era. Djokovic already holds the record for most grand slam titles won on hard courts, with nine Australian Open titles and five US Open titles seeing him three clear of Federer’s six in Melbourne and five in New York.
At 191 hard court wins, Djokovic and Federer stand clear of third place, which is Rafael Nadal with 144. The US Open switched to hard courts from grass in 1978 and the Australian Open followed a decade later.
Over the course of the second half of Djokovic’s career, the Serb has systematically taken down a range of Federer-held records. This has included overtaking him in major honours such as weeks at world number one and total grand slam title wins. It also includes feats such as having won each grand slam tournament thrice, while Federer’s solitary win in France means he doesn’t have a winning record as well-rounded as his rival’s.
Djokovic earlier this year outdid Federer in terms of singles matches played in grand slams, having become the man with the most grand slam match wins in 2024 with a five-set comeback win at the French Open over Francisco Cerundolo.
All about endurance for ageing Djokovic vs younger stars
Djokovic continues to gun for grand slam title number 25, but the legendary Serb seems slightly pessimistic about his chances after admitting to feeling discomfort on-court in his two opening rounds. He was troubled by Svajda, who came through the qualifiers, and will want to rebuild his endurance ahead of a third round match against Cameron Norrie.
Djokovic, playing as the seventh seed in New York, knows he will likely have to battle through Carlos Alcaraz in his half before reaching a potential final against Jannik Sinner, who has a five-match win streak against his senior colleague. Number 25 seems further and further away, but Djokovic will be keen on converting this early momentum into a deep tournament run where he can make his experience count.
