Will Novak Djokovic finish his career with more weeks atop the FedEx ATP Rankings than anyone in history?

After breaking a tie with Pete Sampras on Monday for second-most weeks at World No. 1 by reaching 287 weeks, the Serbian now has his sights set on Roger Federer. The Swiss star has spent a record 310 weeks in the top spot.

“Of course I’m aware of the amount of weeks,” Djokovic said after winning a record-breaking 36th ATP Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. “I’m getting closer. I’m in a very good position, I feel like. I have also been playing really well and been healthy, which is great.”

If he does not relinquish World No. 1 between now and then, Djokovic can pass Federer’s mark on 8 March 2021. He currently has a 1,410-point lead over World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who under the current 22-month system can’t gain any points at Roland Garros because he won the tournament last year.

Making history has long been one of Djokovic’s greatest motivators, and reaching Federer is on his mind. However, he is staying in the moment and focussing on what is under his control.

“The historic No. 1 ranking goal is something that is on the horizon,” Djokovic said. “I’m going to give my all and very best that I can possibly give in the next period to achieve that.

“I can’t [look] too far [ahead] and I don’t know what years to come will bring for me and just tennis and the world in general.”

Although Djokovic is closing in on the major milestone, he knows how difficult it is to maintain not just the top spot, but a place among the world’s elite.

“Being a top player of the world, top five of the world, it requires a lot of consistency, requires a lot of determination, a lot of sacrifice throughout the year,” Djokovic said. “It’s not enough to play well one month a year, two months a year. You have to play well the entire year in order to be one of the best players in the world.

“So that’s probably the ultimate challenge we have in our sport, to be No. 1 in the longest season in sports.”

Djokovic is the top seed at Roland Garros, which begins Sunday. The Serb is chasing his 18th Grand Slam title, which would move him within one of Rafael Nadal’s haul of 19 and closer to Federer’s record of 20. Nadal seeks a record-extending 13th Roland Garros crown. Federer will not play again in 2020 following two surgeries this year on his right knee.

Djokovic won Roland Garros in 2016 when he defeated Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals and Andy Murray in the final.

Andrey Rublev wore down one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour, Roberto Bautista Agut, on Friday for a place in the Hamburg European Open semi-finals. Fifth seed and 2019 runner-up Rublev played with great aggression on the slow Hamburg clay to triumph 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 31 minutes.

Rublev, who hit 20 of his 30 winners off his forehand wing, improved to a 23-6 match record on the 2020 season and will next challenge Ugo Humbert or Casper Ruud on Saturday at the newly renovated Am Rothenbaum, venue of the ATP 500 tournament.

“Roberto is one of the most consistent players on Tour, it’s really tough to beat him,” said World No. 14 Rublev, in an on-court interview. “You need to play at an amazing level and be really fit. He never gives you an easy match. I am really pleased as I played well, even in the first set — in spite of the score — there were long games and I’m happy to get through the second set.”

Rublev’s backhand stood up well in the opening exchanges, and it was fourth seed Bautista Agut who faltered in the opening game as he missed a backhand down the line. Rublev broke once more for a 4-1 lead with a backhand winner, before Bautista Agut started to step in and take the ball earlier to make inroads. Rublev broke for a third time, for a 5-2 advantage, with a barrage of aggressive forehands and completed the 34-minute opener with a backhand volley — one of 12 winners. Bautista Agut had won eight of his 23 service points.

Rublev twice appeared to have made a decisive breakthrough in the second set — breaking in the third and fifth games — but Bautista Agut found a way back, muscling his way in with his own aggressive play to lead 5-4. Rublev, playing at his very best, did so well to maintain his composure in their fourth ATP Head2Head meeting and broke Bautista Agut at 5-5, 30/40 with two aggressive forehands on approach to the net, which forced a backhand error. The 22-year-old secured his spot in the fourth ATP 500 semi-final of his career, in the next game, when Bautista Agut hit a backhand return into the net.

Thirty years ago, Andres Gomez lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros. On Thursday his son, Emilio Gomez, guaranteed that he will play in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time at the same venue.

The 28-year-old Gomez rallied past Kazakhstani Dmitry Popko 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1). The Ecuadorian trailed 0-3, 30/40 in the deciding set and faced two match points while serving at 4-5, before recovering to triumph after two hours and 31 minutes.

“It was a roller-coaster of ups and downs… It was crazy,” Gomez said. “It was the first time I was in a situation like that, [with] that much nervousness during a match. It was really a big deal for me to get through it.”

This was Gomez’s eighth attempt to qualify for a Grand Slam. He had only previously reached the final round of qualifying once (2014 US Open). The 2019 Tallahassee ATP Challenger Tour champion beat top-seeded Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first qualifying round, but not everything went according to plan on Thursday in Paris.

“I’m going to be honest, I was not feeling 100 per cent physically today. I had a sore back in the warm-up and I was not expecting that because I felt great during the whole week,” Gomez said. “Every time we stopped because of the rain [after the first set and the second set] it was bad for me… I think the will to win was stronger than all the pain I was feeling in that third set. It was well played by me. I played super aggressive and kind of forgot about everything [and] where I was. I was looking for my first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, [which is] especially [important] here at the French Open.

“It took a lot of running and a lot of guts to pull it out after having two match points against me.”

Seven other players advanced to the main draw on Thursday, led by second seed Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard beat American Ulises Blanch 6-2, 6-3. Entertaining shotmaker Dustin Brown fell one step short when Italian Lorenzo Giustino beat him 6-3, 7-5.

Brit Liam Broady, who was supported by Andy Murray, advanced through qualifying at a major for the first time when he ousted Aussie 12th seed Marc Polmans 7-6(5), 6-4. The lefty will play a Grand Slam main draw for the fourth time, having competed at Wimbledon on three occasions as a wild card.

The other players to make it through Slam qualifying for the first time are Steven Diez, Aleksandar Vukic and Daniel Altmaier. Diez defeated Enzo Couacaud 6-3, 6-4, Vukic beat 15th seed Jason Jung 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and Daniel Altmaier eliminated Ruben Bemelmans 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. For Diez, it was his 16th major qualifying attempt.

Austrian Sebastian Ofner also moved on, ousting Swede Elias Ymer 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

Sometimes it’s what doesn’t happen that catches the eye.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Rafael Nadal saving break points at Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments throughout his career uncovers that Roland Garros is one of only two events where he has saved more than 70 per cent of break points.

Nadal has saved an impressive 70.3 per cent (416/592) of break points from 95 matches at Roland Garros, heavily contributing to his record haul of 12 titles on the Parisian terre battue. The most break points Nadal has saved is 71.3 per cent (67/94) across 24 matches at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Nadal’s Roland Garros metrics are particularly impressive when you stack them up against other Grand Slam and clay-court events he participates in.

Rafael Nadal: Saving Break Points (Grand Slams)

Four clay-court tournaments on Nadal’s schedule are Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome and the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. Combined, Nadal has saved 65.6 per cent of break points at those four events, which is around five percentage points lower than the lofty heights he has achieved at Roland Garros.

Nadal has won all 12 finals he has played on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris, saving break points at an even higher rate than normal. Nadal has saved a head-turning 73.4 per cent (80/109) of break points in Roland Garros finals, with the 2007 final against Roger Federer being the most memorable. During that match, Nadal saved a mind-bending 16 of 17 break points to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, while also breaking Federer six times from 10 opportunities.

The most break points Nadal has faced in a Roland Garros match was 20 in the 2018 quarter-finals against Diego Schwartzman. Nadal saved 75 per cent (15/20) of them.

Nadal has been broken seven times in a match twice at Roland Garros. On both occasions, he was facing arch-rival Novak Djokovic. The Serb converted seven of 10 break points in the 2012 final, losing 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Djokovic also broke seven times (7/18) to defeat Nadal in the 2015 quarter-finals 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

In Nadal’s only other Roland Garros defeat, Robin Soderling converted five of six break point opportunities to beat the Spaniard 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2) in the Round of 16 in 2009.

Nadal has surprisingly not faced a break point in just four of his 95 matches at Roland Garros. Impressively, he has not been broken in 23 per cent (22/95) of his encounters at the event.

In the 2011 semi-final against Andy Murray, he saved 15 of 18 break points to prevail 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. The final score line looks somewhat routine but, like a lot of things about Nadal in Paris, there is a lot going on right beneath the surface that tells a more important story.

Rafael Nadal: Saving Break Points

In the early to mid-2000s, Guillermo Coria was a force on the ATP Tour. One of the best defenders in the game and a strong baseliner, the Argentine used his superior agility to soar as high as No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Also a finalist at Roland Garros in 2004 and a two-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, Coria was a fixture inside the Top 100 for many years. ‘El Mago’ was the clay-court king during his tenure on the professional scene, dominating on the surface throughout his career.

Now, more than a decade later, the Coria legacy continues. On Monday, Guillermo’s brother Federico Coria cracked the Top 100 for the first time, entering the fray after an impressive week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. The 28-year-old rose to a career-high No. 98 after earning his first win over a Top 50 opponent (Struff) in his ATP Masters 1000 debut.

“It makes me really happy,” said Coria. “Monday was an incredible day in my life. I looked at my phone and just stared at the number. I couldn’t believe it. It’s a dream realised and one that I’ve been fighting for, for a long time.

“I was actually anxious for this to happen. It was supposed to come earlier in the year, but the pandemic arrived and I had to wait. But this was very special, after winning my first Masters 1000 match in Rome and beating the No. 30 in the world. It ended up being better than I imagined.”

The Corias are one of just four sets of brothers to feature inside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings since 2000. They join Jurgen Melzer and Gerald Melzer, as well as Olivier Rochus and Christophe Rochus, and most recently Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev.

In fact, the Rochus brothers were both in the Top 100 at the same time, in each year from 2000 to 2010. The Zverevs also resided in the Top 100 concurrently, from 2016 to 2019.

For both Federico and Guillermo, it is a special accomplishment. The brothers have a close relationship and Guillermo relishes his sibling’s achievements like they are his own.

“My first dream was to get an ATP point,” Federico added. “I remember when it happened, Guillermo printed the rankings page and posted it at home. Today, after 10 years of traveling all over the world, with many highs and lows, to be Top 100 gives me a great desire to continue climbing.”

“I am very proud and happy for Fede, that he has entered the Top 100,” said Guillermo. “He is fulfilling his dreams and that gives me great happiness as a brother. At one point he thought it was too far away and almost impossible. But he never gave up, he fought and kept on going to play tournaments and gain confidence. He was lonely a lot, but this is the reward for all those results and that sacrifice.”

When Coria says he has been fighting for this moment for a long time, that is not hyperbole. The Argentine has battled on the ATP Challenger Tour since 2016 and was competing in ITF events for nearly five years before that. Now, the grind is paying off. Last year, he lifted his maiden Challenger trophy in Savannah and reached three more finals as the year rolled along.

And in 2020, he made his mark at the tour-level, surging to his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro and claiming his first Grand Slam match win at the US Open last month. His breakthrough in Rome was the icing on the cake.

For Federico, the road to this moment started more than 20 years ago, when he instantly became inspired by his brother. Guillermo was his idol. Ever since he was a child, he would watch him compete on TV. The Corias are from a very small town in Argentina, named Rosario, and Guillermo was always on the road either competing on the ATP Tour or training in Buenos Aires and Miami.

Federico explains that he was very shy when he was younger. He became so nervous when his brother would call home that he would run and hide.

“It was very difficult for me. I couldn’t speak to him when he called. I looked up to him so much. And now, it hasn’t been easy to follow in his footsteps. Whenever I would travel to a tournament, he had already won it when he was two years younger than me. I couldn’t manage it. I struggled a lot with that, because I wanted to be a normal kid. I wanted to be a boy that did not attract attention. I didn’t want to arrive at a tournament and everyone expects me to achieve the same as my brother. I’ve never been as talented as him and this was a big mental challenge for me.”

When Federico won his lone ATP Challenger Tour title in Savannah, he paid tribute to his older brother. In what was the biggest moment of his career, he dropped to one knee and pointed to sky. It was just like Guillermo used to do in his Challenger days.

“On the other hand, coming from Argentina, there is pressure – sometimes even greater than what I experienced – on all the other players. It’s not unique to me. So if I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything. For me, looking back, it was incredible to have a brother that was No. 3 in the world and could help guide me through my career. His support means everything to me.”

When asked what has been the best advice he’s ever received, Coria recalled a special moment with Rafael Nadal at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires. The pair were sitting in the locker room one afternoon and Nadal turned to a young Federico to discuss the next steps in his career.

“There were no cameras, just the two of us in the changing room. He asked me where I was playing next and started talking about my position [in the FedEx ATP Rankings]. He explained that many years ago he was in the same position as I was, and that I need to work every day and leave it all on the court. Your ranking is a consequence of how hard you work and the results you have. You earn everything you receive. He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to take an interest in me and give me advice, but he did and I’m very grateful.”

Coria will make his Roland Garros debut next week, opening against a qualifier. He could face 23rd-seed Benoit Paire or Soonwoo Kwon in the second round.