Novak Djokovic joins Rafael Nadal, reaches 400 ATP Masters wins with Indian Wells victory

Tennis legend back in California after five-year absence.

Novak Djokovic is living proof that “age is just a number.” At 36, he’s still a force to be reckoned with, smashing records left and right. With 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles to his name—a record on its own—he recently notched his 400th match win at this level, joining Rafael Nadal as one of only two players to hit this milestone.

After a five-year hiatus, Djokovic is back at the California event, eyeing a record-breaking sixth title in what’s fondly known as Tennis Paradise. This would nudge him past Federer, who has five titles. If all goes well, he might also join the elite club of players with 1,100 match wins—provided there are no unexpected walkovers. His last triumph at the BNP Paribas Open was in 2016, marking his third consecutive win.

Djokovic recently faced a tough challenge in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Open. Despite dropping the first set, he made a comeback after trailing 0-3 against Aleksandar Vukic, who had broken his serve early on. Djokovic managed to break back and eventually took control, forcing a third set after a grueling 10-minute game.

400 – With his win over Aleksandar Vukic, Novak Djokovic has become only the second player to achieve 400 match wins at ATP Masters 1000 events after Rafael Nadal (406), since the format's introduction in 1990. Evergreen.#TennisParadise | @BNPPARIBASOPEN @DjokerNole @atptour pic.twitter.com/1okLtZx0Ux

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 10, 2024

In the decisive set, Djokovic secured breaks in the fifth and ninth games, clinching the set and marking a victorious return to Indian Wells since 2018. He dominated with an 83% win rate on his first serve and limited the Australian to just 27% on his second serve points. His forehand also saw a marked improvement, with Tennis Insights rating it at 9.6 in the final set, a step up from the earlier sets.

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Currently ranked World No. 1, Djokovic has held this position for a record-breaking 415 weeks. His next opponent is Italy’s Luca Nardi, who overcame China’s Zhang Zhizhen with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Their upcoming third round match will be their first encounter.

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