How Novak Djokovic can equal a unique Roger Federer record and end a 16-year US Open streak
Novak Djokovic is aiming to win his fifth US Open title and 25th Grand Slam overall at the 2024 edition of the New York Grand Slam.
The great Serbian claimed his 24th and most recent major crown at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Djokovic secured three Grand Slam titles last year and is looking to ensure 2024 will not be his first major-less season since 2017.
The US Open has been won by five different men in the last five years, with Rafael Nadal (2019), Dominic Thiem (2020), Daniil Medvedev (2021) and Carlos Alcaraz (2022) winning before Djokovic last year.
Remarkably, no man has defended the US Open title since 2008, when Roger Federer claimed an astonishing fifth consecutive crown at the New York Grand Slam.
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Nadal and Djokovic are the only players to win multiple US Open titles — four each – since Federer’s dominant spell ended.
US Open men’s singles champions since 2008
2008 – Roger Federer
2009 – Juan Martin del Potro
2010 – Rafael Nadal
2011 – Novak Djokovic
2012 – Andy Murray
2013 – Rafael Nadal
2014 – Marin Cilic
2015 – Novak Djokovic
2016 – Stan Wawrinka
2017 – Rafael Nadal
2018 – Novak Djokovic
2019 – Rafael Nadal
2020 – Dominic Thiem
2021 – Daniil Medvedev
2022 – Carlos Alcaraz
2023 – Novak Djokovic
Federer is the only man to have defended titles at three different Grand Slam tournaments in the Open Era, having also achieved the feat at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The Swiss also shares the record for the most successful major title defences (10) with Rafael Nadal, who successfully defended the French Open 10 times.
Djokovic has defended titles at the Australian Open five times, while he has won Wimbledon in back-to-back years on three separate occasions.
The 37-year-old is yet to successfully defend titles at the US Open or the French Open, though, so he could match Federer’s record of title defences at three different Slams with victory at Flushing Meadows.
Speaking in his pre-tournament press conference, Djokovic revealed he had been unaware that no man had defended the US Open title in 16 years.
“I didn’t know about that,” Djokovic said. “I knew it was probably the case for five, 10 years, but I didn’t know it was that long. Hopefully that changes this year. That’s the goal.”
Djokovic, who has reached a record 10 US Open finals, could equal Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record of five titles at the New York major
