For the majority of players winning a Grand Slam, a Barclays ATP World Tour Finals or ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title remains just a dream. For a handful of players, who become serial winners, they become giants of the sport.

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic added to his ‘Big Titles’ haul. The World No. 1 etched his name in the history books with his first Roland Garros title, to become only the third player – after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962, 1969) – to hold all four major championships at the same time. He is also the eighth player to complete the career Grand Slam.

By capturing his 12th Grand Slam championship crown, Djokovic is now just one trophy behind record-holder Roger Federer with 46 ‘Big Titles’. A five-time Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champion, Djokovic has by the far the best conversion rate of any player, past or present, winning one Big Title for every 3.15 events played at this level.

While Federer still leads the field with 47 Big Titles, including 17 Grand Slams and six Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (both records), he is third all-time with 24 Masters 1000 crowns. The Swiss has played 203 tournaments at this level, averaging one title for each 4.3 events played.

Rafael Nadal, who is currently sidelined by a wrist injury, also boasts an exceptional strike rate, winning one Big Title for every 3.5 appearances. He is joint second all-time (with Pete Sampras) for most Grand Slam titles won with 14, and outright second all-time for most Masters 1000 titles won with 28 crowns, just one behind Djokovic’s record haul.

Andy Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the Roland Garros final, has won 14 Big Titles – 12 Masters 1000s, including at last month’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia (d. Djokovic), and two majors. Murray, who has competed in the same era as Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, wins one Big Title for every 9.7 tournaments played.

Since the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series launched in 1990, Sampras has been the only player to rival the ‘Big Titles’ strike rates of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. A winner of 14 Grand Slam titles and five Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the six-time year-end World No. 1 averaged one Big Title per 4.9 tournaments played.

One other player whose strike rate is in single figures is Andre Agassi, who at one time was the record Masters 1000 title holder with 17 titles, including six Miami crowns. Agassi also won eight majors and one season finale. His 26 ‘Big Titles’ from 164 tournaments played came at an average of one title per 6.3 events played.

Those historical averages put in perspective the utter dominance Djokovic has displayed in his past 22 outings at this level dating back to the 2014 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. During that time the Serb has won one Big Title for every 1.29 events he’s played, going 5 of 6 at Grand Slams, 10 of 14 at Masters 1000s and 2 for 2 at Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Current and Former Champions (Records Since 1990)

Current Top 10

Nicolas Mahut is the new No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, replacing Brazil’s Marcelo Melo at the summit of the team game.

After weeks of no comment, in the end the prospect of becoming the 49th doubles No. 1 was taken out of Mahut’s hands. On Saturday, as Marc Lopez and Feliciano Lopez beat Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for the Roland Garros title, Mahut was 288 miles away preparing for his singles title defence at the Ricoh Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“I watched the match on television, at the end of the second set I thought the Bryans would win,” Mahut told ATPWorldTour.com. “But the broadcast ended and I then followed the score on the internet and via relatives.”

Guy Forget (No. 3), Michael Llodra (No. 3), Julien Benneteau (No. 5), Henri Leconte (No. 6) and Fabrice Santoro (No. 6) were all never able to follow in the footsteps of Yannick Noah, the last French player at No. 1 in August 1987. Today, officially, it’s Mahut’s fate.

“There was a mixture of pride and fulfillment on learning that the Spaniards had won,” said Mahut, who has been in sensational form this year with partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. “Although it’s not the same as singles, you’re the first in your discipline. I realise how hard it is to become No. 1. [Mika] Llodra, Santoro and other great French champions did not make it. It’s a special feeling.”

After dinner with Paul-Henri Mathieu on Saturday night, Mahut was able to call his wife, Virginie, and former players and coaches, who had been part of the journey. “Now that it’s done, it will free us,” said Mahut. “Unconsciously, it added more pressure. Pierre-Hugues and I can start over and look to tournament goals again.”

Over the past 18 months, Mahut and Herbert have reached eight finals, captured the 2015 US Open (d. Murray-Peers) and recently won three straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies at the BNP Paribas Open (d. Pospisil-Sock), the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Klaasen-Ram) and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Murray-Soares).

It could have been so different. Mahut’s career falls into two chapters: pre- and post- ‘The Longest Match’.

It’s now almost six years since Mahut was the valiant loser against John Isner in an 11-hour, five-minute three-day record-breaking match at 2010 Wimbledon. It brought instant recognition for both players, a high point for Mahut, 10 years on from an excellent junior career.

But what next?

“Nicolas had a career before his match against Isner at Wimbledon and a second career after that match,” good friend Fabrice Santoro told ATPWorldTour.com. “Even though he lost that one, people started to talk about this completely crazy match. And that loss gave him confidence.”

For a long time, ice packs compressed onto Mahut’s knees or elbows were a regular sight at tournaments. The problems hindered his progress, but the smart and amiable Frenchman never gave up. With the birth of his son, Natanel, in August 2011, also came the death of a nephew. Yet he continued to graft.

Since turning 30, the classic serve-volleyer has picked up three ATP World Tour grass-court singles titles and 11 doubles crowns. Questions about 2010 Wimbledon have subsided.

Today, at 34 years of age, Mahut adds another line to the history books: a Frenchman at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. Congratulations, Nico.

How you hit the ball matters. Where you stand to hit it matters more.

Andy Murray got off to a flying start, but Novak Djokovic finally prevailed 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to win the Roland Garros final Sunday. Murray had an opportunity to go up a set and break with Djokovic serving at Ad out in the first game of the second set, but Murray’s strong magnetism for the baseline suddenly lost its attraction.

On break point, the Brit played three defensive shots, finishing the point standing near the back fence as Djokovic dispatched an easy overhead winner at net. Everything to that point in time was primarily controlled by Murray. Almost everything after that was dominated by Djokovic.

“I did a pretty good job of not giving him free points for the first hour or so, and then I started dropping too far behind the baseline, and he was then able to dictate more of the points,” Murray said. “I needed to be a little bit closer to the baseline for more of the match today, and wasn’t able to do it,” he added.

First Set Firepower
Murray won the opening set with power tennis and targeting Djokovic’s forehand wing, where the Serb committed 14 forehand errors, including nine groundstrokes and five on his return of serve. Murray initially broke Djokovic for a 3-1 lead, crushing a 150km/h (93mph) forehand return winner to surge to a 0/30 advantage in that game. Serving at 3-1 30/15, he unleashed with a 159km/h (99mph) forehand winner to clearly send the message that his primary pattern of play was pure aggression from a commanding court position.

With Murray leading 4-1 in the opening set, his average serve speed was 176 km/h (109mph), compared to Djokovic’s 159 km/h (99 mph). The added power helped Murray run less, as he was averaging 16.67 metres moved per point to Djokovic’s 17.39 metres halfway through the opener.

Rally Length
Even on clay, even between these two baseline giants of our game, the shorter 0-4 shot rally length was still where the majority of points were played in this final. Overall, 52 per cent of points ended in the first four shots, 24 per cent ended in the 5-8 shot range, and an identical 24 per cent lasted nine shots or longer.

Amazingly, their Australian Open final in January on hard court and in Madrid on clay last month both produced exactly 52 per cent of total points in the crucial 0-4 shot rally length. In the Roland Garros final, Djokovic did not have a winning record in any rally length in set one, but dominated in almost all of the rally lengths from the second set onward.

Final Rally Length

Drop Shots
A combined 29 drop shots were hit for the match between the two players, sometimes coming from the back of the court or following another drop shot. Djokovic won 59 per cent (10/17), while Murray was even more successful, winning 67 per cent (8/12). The goal was to often pull the opponent out of their comfort zone at the back of the court and fatigue him for the ensuing points.

Net versus Baseline
Djokovic and Murray are widely regarded as two of the best baseliners in the world, but they combined to venture to the net 57 times in four sets to feast on the higher win percentage that the front of the court offers.

Djokovic won just 51 per cent (68/133) of his baseline points in the final, but an astounding 79 per cent (26/33) at the net. Murray won just 42 per cent (59/142) from the baseline and 54 per cent (13/24) venturing forward to the net.

Modern clay court tennis is very much about holding the baseline, dominating with first strike aggression and finishing at the net – just like the other surfaces. To no one’s surprise, Djokovic does it all just a little bit better than the rest.