Djokovic Matches Federer On ‘Big Titles’ Leaderboard

Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer for his fifth Wimbledon title on Sunday, and now the Serbian is dangerously close to also surpassing Federer on the all-time “Big Titles” leaderboard.

Djokovic saved two match points to beat the eight-time champion in an epic final, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3), the first fifth-set tie-break in Wimbledon singles history.

The 32-year-old won his 16^th Grand Slam crown and 54^th Big Title, a combination of Grand Slam, Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 titles.

Federer, the all-time Grand Slam championships leader with 20, still has four more major victories than Djokovic, and the Swiss has celebrated one more Nitto ATP Finals title (six) than the Serbian (five). But Djokovic has won five more Masters 1000 titles (33-28), creating the tie atop the Big Titles leaderboard.

Most impressively, the World No. 1 has the best Big Title conversion rate of anyone. Djokovic wins a Big Title about one out of every three opportunities (3.3), better than Rafael Nadal (3.5) and Federer (4.2).

Djokovic has especially been on a tear the past 12 months. Since July 2018, he has won seven Big Titles – four Grand Slams and three Masters 1000 titles. In that same time period, Federer has captured one Big Title (2019 Miami), Nadal three (2018 Toronto, 2019 Rome, 2019 Roland Garros).

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The trio compete against each other for the biggest titles in the game, but they also motivate each other with their accomplishments.

After the final, Federer, who turns 38 in a few weeks, said he hopes his lengthy career inspires others. “I hope I give some other people a chance to believe at 37 it’s not over yet,” he said before laughing. “I gave it all I had and I still feel alright, I still stand. It’s good, and I wish the same for the other 37-year-olds.”

Djokovic, who turned 32 in May, said he’s one of those people. “Roger really inspires me with his effort at his age,” he said.

The two, along with Nadal, will be competing for Big Titles and inspiring each other for years to come.

“We’re making each other grow and evolve and still be in this game. Those two guys [are] probably one of the biggest reasons I still compete at this level. The fact that they made history of this sport motivates me as well, inspires me to try to do what they have done, what they’ve achieved, and even more,” Djokovic said.

“Whether I’m going to be able to do it or not, I don’t know. I’m not really looking at age as a restriction of any kind for me.

“It just depends how long I’m going to play, whether I’m going to have a chance to make historic No. 1 or Slams. It depends not only on myself, it depends on circumstances in life.

“I’m not just a tennis player, I’m a father and a husband. You have to balance things out. Obviously you need to have the right circumstances, the right support for things to play out in the right way.”

Current and Former Champions’ Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)

* Becker’s four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg’s three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.