When Djokovic wins the first set, it all adds up to big trouble for opponents
During the Australian Open, ATPTour.com will bring fans insight into the leaders of key statistical categories, showing how performances throughout 2025 all added up to successful seasons and the promise of more good times ahead in 2026.
Novak Djokovic’s 2025 season offered a masterclass in ruthless efficiency: when he wins the first set, he finishes the job.
Across the year, he posted a spotless 30-0 record in matches where he claimed the opening set, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. That consistency is a testament to focus, composure and match intelligence when under pressure, qualities that have been instrumental in Djokovic’s storied career.
What makes the Serbian’s 2025 performance when taking the first set even more impressive is that it’s merely the latest chapter in a long-standing trend. In 2024, Djokovic went an astonishing 35-0 himself when winning the first set and, including his first three victories at the 2026 Australian Open, he has now won his past 87 matches when winning the opener.
The last time he dropped a match after winning the first set was his epic five-set Wimbledon final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in 2023.
Novak Djokovic’s record when winning the first set 2023-2025
| Season | W-L |
| 2025 | 30-0 |
| 2024 | 35-0 |
| 2023 | 48-2 |
Beyond the numbers, this streak reveals the core of Djokovic’s ability: once he grabs the lead, his mental and physical rhythm stays locked in. In tight moments, when opponents try to claw back, he rarely falters, and his rock-solid baseline game is a huge part of why he has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. It’s the kind of longevity that is built on consistency, match after match, season after season.
Djokovic’s record when winning the first set speaks to a champion who seizes the moment the instant he gets an edge. One who doesn’t merely win sets, but locks in, executes and closes out until the job is done.
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