Novak Djokovic wrote his name into the history books yet again as he booked his place in the Australian Open third round.
The Serbian star was put through his paces as he triumphed over Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria in his second round clash in Melbourne, winning 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2.
And the match held particular significance for Djokovic, who was playing in the 430th Grand Slam singles match of his career.
In doing so, he gained sole-ownership of the record for the most major singles matches played among men and women, overtaking sporting great Roger Federer.
The Swiss legend, who retired in 2022, won 20 Grand Slam titles, with his 429th and final major appearance coming at Wimbledon in 2021.
While Djokovic ultimately marked the milestone occasion in the perfect fashion, victory was certainly hard-fought.
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The Serb dropped a set for the second consecutive match at the tournament, having also come through his opening round clash with Nishesh Basavareddy in four sets.
But after regrouping to claim the final two sets against his world number 124-ranked opponent, the 10-time Australian Open champion revealed his joy at making yet more history.
When asked about the landmark achievement, Djokovic said: “I love this sport. I love competition.
“I try to give my best every single time. It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level.
“Whether I win or lose, I will always leave my heart out on the court. I’m just blessed to be making another record.”
The victory also meant Djokovic became the first man over the age of 30 to reach 150 Grand Slam singles wins.
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These will not be the only records he will hope to come away with when the competition reaches its conclusion next week.
Djokovic is targeting a 25th Grand Slam singles title in Australia, which would see him move clear of tennis great Margaret Court as the player with the most major singles titles in history, with the pair currently tied on 24.
And former British number one Sue Barker has hailed the 37-year-old after his latest record-breaking feat, labelling him the greatest tennis player of all time.
Appearing on talkSPORT Breakfast, Barker said of Djokovic: “As the record books say, absolutely he is [the greatest]. 24 Grand Slams. He was just unbeatable for so long.
“A lot of people will say Roger Federer did a lot more for the game and has more popularity, possibly.
“But Novak Djokovic, there’s no question. In the era that he was in, with Rafa [Nadal]with Roger, with Andy [Murray]to win the Grand Slams that he won time and time again, it’s just incredible.”
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Despite this however, Barker expressed some doubt over Djokovic’s title bid in Melbourne, with the star now having failed to win a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open.
She continued: “Although watching him this week, he doesn’t look like the Djokovic of two years ago.
“I worried last year, that was the first year that he hadn’t won a Grand Slam for so long in 2024, and I worry now whether he will.”
Barker also shared her concerns that Djokovic’s recent high-profile appointment of British sporting hero Andy Murray as his coach could serve as a distraction.
The 1976 French Open champion said: “He’s got Andy there.
“That’s maybe proving to be quite a distraction for him in a way, because it’s almost more about Andy than more about Novak Djokovic at the moment.
“But it’ll be interesting to see what Andy brings to the table and if he can reignite that fire to let him get the one more Grand Slam he needs to be the greatest of all time beating Margaret Court’s record. They’re both on 24.”
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