Roger Federer was the king of tennis in the 2000s. The Swiss maestro set the bar very high by winning tournaments in 6 countries in Asia. Many thought that this record would never be broken but it was eventually by Novak Djokovic.
The Serbian star is on fire at the moment and has dominated the Asian swing in the last decade, except this year when he didn’t participate in a single tournament. Djokovic has not only caught up with but also surpassed Roger Federer’s achievements in Asia. Some of his biggest victories include some epic wins against top-ranked opponents.
Novak Djokovic beat Gilles Simon in Shanghai 2008 Tennis Masters Cup
Novak Djokovic beat France’s Gilles Simon in the Masters Cup semi-final in Shanghai in 2008. In a thrilling match, the Serbian won in three sets to set up a final with Nikolay Davydenko. In a match that lasted two hours and 52 minutes, Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. The Serbian even defeated the in-form Juan Martin del Potro in a successful Asian swing.
Novak Djokovic trumped his new big rival Andy Murray in 2012 Shanghai final
Djokovic won his first ATP 1000 Masters title in China, after winning the Shanghai Masters in 2012. In a thrilling final, the Serbian won the match in three sets, having saved as many as five match points. The Serbian won the match 5-7, 7-6,6-3 in the end to win the title.
Djokovic outclassed Millman in 2019 Tokyo final
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a dream tournament debut at the Tokyo 2019. The Serbian defeated Australian qualifier John Millman 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Japan Open to win his first-ever title in Japan. In his five matches at the Tokyo Open at Ariake Colosseum, the Serb did not even drop a set, showcasing his dominance over his opponents.
Djokovic eased past Cilic in 2022 Tel Aviv final
The No.1 seed Novak Djokovic defeated multiple Grand Slam finalist, Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4 to win the Tel Aviv Open 2022. This was a record-breaking win as the Serbian won titles on all surfaces in 2022 despite getting banned from some tournaments due to his Covid-19 vaccination status. Tel Aviv was the 89th title of the Serb’s illustrious career. It was also Djokovic’s first win in Israel, something which Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray could not achieve.
Djokovic beat Tsitsipas in 2022 Astana final
After winning in Tel Aviv, Djokovic won his first-ever ATP title in Kazakhstan just a week later. The Serbian defeated Tsitsipas in just 74 minutes to secure a career 90th ATP title. Novak Djokovic dominated from first serve to the last as he beat the Greece star in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to secure a place in the Nitto ATP Finals.
