Novak Djokovic Matches Roger Federer’s Record With Victory at US Open on Wednesday

With a win over Zachary Svajda the Serbian superstar now has 191 wins, which means Djokovic has now tied Federer for the most victories ever on hard courts at Grand Slam tournaments. For a rivalry that has defined tennis for nearly two decades, it’s fitting that they now share this slice of history. And with more games to play in the tournament, Djokovic will most certainly break the record with his next win.

Novak Djokovic Finds Second Gear Against Zachary Svajda

Novak Djokovic might not have been at his sparkling best under the New York lights on Wednesday, but the result still went his way. The 38-year-old battled past American qualifier Zachary Svajda in four sets, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, to keep his unbeaten second-round record at the US Open alive and book his place in the third round for the 19th time.

It wasn’t smooth sailing. Djokovic racked up errors early on and looked flat, even going down a break in the third. But as he’s done countless times in his career, he found a way to raise the tempo when it mattered. Svajda, who had already gone through four rounds of qualifying, started struggling with a leg issue midway through the match and couldn’t maintain the same serving power, opening the door for Djokovic to take control.

After the match, Djokovic admitted his tennis wasn’t pretty: “Not that great, to be honest,” he said, giving credit to Svajda for making life difficult. Still, the win carries weight—this was his 75th third-round appearance at a Grand Slam, moving him past Roger Federer. Now, as he eyes his 25th major, Djokovic’s next challenge will be Cameron Norrie or Francisco Comesana.