Djokovic's Dominance In The Final Two Rounds Of The Australian Open
Djokovic’s Dominance In The Final Two Rounds Of The Australian Open
Once Novak Djokovic reaches the semi-finals of the Australian Open, he has proven himself tougher than ever.
After defeating six-time champion Roger Federer in Thursday evening’s semi-final, the Serbian is now 15-0 once he reaches the last four at the season’s first Grand Slam. On Sunday, he will have a chance to lift his eighth trophy in Melbourne, extending his own all-time record.
Most Australian Open Titles (All-Time)
| Novak Djokovic | 7 |
| Roger Federer | 6 |
| Roy Emerson | 6 |
| Andre Agassi | 4 |
| Jack Crawford | 4 |
| Ken Rosewall | 4 |
“I feel comfortable and confident playing in Australia,” Djokovic said after his first-round win against Tatsuma Ito. “[The] history of my results here has been very positive.”
Not only has Djokovic won in the late stages of the Australian Open, but he has dominated. The World No. 2, who will return to No. 1 on Monday if he captures the title, has only lost 10 sets in his 15 matches from the semi-finals on Down Under. What is perhaps more impressive is who he beat in those clashes.
Twelve of Djokovic’s 15 semi-final or final wins at this event have come against players ranked inside the world’s Top 5 at the time. The only exceptions are the 2008 final, in which he defeated then-World No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2015 championship against then-World No. 6 Andy Murray, and last year’s semi-finals in which he dismissed then-World No. 31 Lucas Pouille.
Djokovic has only lost five sets in seven finals at the Australian Open, with three of his championship triumphs coming in straight sets. The 32-year-old has a chance to make even more history on Sunday, when he faces Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic’s Longest Sets-Won Streaks In Melbourne
| Year | Consecutive Sets Won (Result) |
| 2008 | 18 (won title) |
| 2020 | 16 (entering final) |
| 2015 | 16 (won title) |
| 2011 | 15 (won title) |
The Serbian’s personal best number of consecutive sets won at this major is 18, when he won the trophy for the first time in 2008. Djokovic has won 16 straight sets this year, going back to the final set of his first-round victory against powerful German Jan-Lennard Struff. So if the second seed does not lose a set on Sunday, he will have captured the title by claiming his final 19 sets.
It would also be the third time Djokovic has won multiple Australian Open titles in a row (2011-13, 2015-16). His longest winning streak here stretched from 2011-14, when he emerged the victor in 25 straight matches, ultimately losing in the 2014 quarter-finals in five sets against eventual champion Stan Wawrinka.