On this day 18 years ago, a young tennis player from Serbia scripted history at Melbourne Park, becoming his country’s first Grand Slam champion. It was just the beginning of a record-breaking career, which is yet to write its final chapter even after almost two decades of a fruitful journey.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The then 20-year-old Serbian was none other than the most successful men’s singles tennis player — Novak Djokovic.Now 38, Djokovic is still going strong and competing at the ongoing Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam. He now stands as the most successful men’s tennis player with 24 Slams, including a record ten titles Down Under. He is currently chasing his record-extending 25th major title, which would make him the standalone all-time Slam winner across men’s and women’s tennis, bettering the current joint-most tally of 24 shared with Margaret Court.
Djokovic will play his quarter-final match of the 2026 Australian Open against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday.Djokovic has so far won Wimbledon seven times, the US Open four times, and the French Open three times, apart from his record haul of 10 Australian Open titles.He has set a mountain of all-time records since turning professional in 2003. Prominent among them are:
Novak Djokovic (AI-generated Infographic)
All of it began on this day — January 27, 2008 — when Djokovic ended the duopoly of legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the Grand Slams. Before the 2008 Australian Open, Federer and Nadal had won 11 consecutive majors between them.
How Djokovic ended Federer-Nadal hegemony and kick-started his record-breaking career at the 2008 Australian Open
After turning professional in 2003 as a 16-year-old, Djokovic made his foray into the mecca of tennis — the Grand Slams — with a first-round loss at the 2005 Australian Open.It took him three years and 12 majors before reaching his first Grand Slam final at the 2007 US Open. Djokovic lost to Federer in New York in straight sets, which turned out to be the beginning of a long rivalry between the two.The year 2007 was a fruitful one for the youngster, as he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the semi-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon before playing the US Open final against Federer.The progression continued at the next Slam Down Under in 2008. Young Djokovic was seeded third after a strong run the previous year, with Federer as the top seed and Nadal as the second seed. With 11 consecutive Grand Slam titles between them heading into Melbourne, Federer and Nadal were again overwhelming favourites.
Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open 2026. (AP Photo)
Djokovic was placed in the top half with Federer, with their paths set to cross in the semi-finals.Djokovic breezed through the first four rounds without dropping a set, beating three unseeded opponents — Benjamin Becker, Simone Bolelli and Sam Querrey — before facing his first seeded rival, local favourite Lleyton Hewitt, in the fourth round.Third seed Djokovic then faced fifth seed David Ferrer in the quarter-finals and emerged triumphant again in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. It set up a mouth-watering semi-final against top seed Federer, a rematch of the 2007 US Open final.Djokovic stunned the tennis world by defeating Federer in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (5), to book a place in the final for the second consecutive major.To the surprise of many, second seed Nadal also lost his semi-final from the bottom half. France’s unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated the Spaniard in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, to set up the summit clash with Djokovic, ensuring a new Australian Open champion.It was the first real test for Djokovic, as Tsonga stunned everyone by winning the opening set 6-4 in the final — the first set Djokovic dropped in the tournament. But it proved only a brief hiccup. Djokovic went on to win the next three sets to claim his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2).It marked the beginning of a truly remarkable career — the first of a record 10 titles Down Under and the first of the 24 majors Djokovic would win over the next 16 years.At 38, Djokovic has slowed down slightly, and his long-time rivals Federer (20 major titles) and Nadal (22 major titles) have retired from the sport. Yet, he remains among the top five players on the circuit, having reached the semi-finals of all four majors in 2025 and now preparing for another quarter-final at the 2026 Australian Open. He has not won a major in two years, with his last Slam coming at the US Open in 2023. But one thing is certain: Djokovic’s journey will end only when the legend himself says so, and even today, nobody is writing him off at any Grand Slam.
