The returning world no.1 Novak Djokovic registered an easy 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win against Aleksandar Vukic in his first game at the Indian Wells Open 2024 on Saturday.
Djokovic was not at his best in his first game since his heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal of the Australia Open two months ago. The Serbian was impressive in the first set against the Australian but struggled to keep the momentum going into the second.
Vukic took a 3-0 lead in the second set giving Djokovic a brilliant fight on the return to level the score. But the Serbian kept his calm in the following set to clinch the win and script another big record.
Djokovic recorded his 400th career win in ATP Masters 1000 events and became the only second player after Rafael Nadal to achieve this historic feat.
Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, holds the record for most Masters 1000 wins. The legendary Spaniard was all set to make his injury return at the Paribas Open but withdrew on the eve of his first game citing he is not ready to play at the highest level just yet.
Nadal missed the majority of the 2023 season and also suffered a fresh knee injury ahead of the Australian Open 2024. On the other hand, Djokovic missed on clinching his 25th Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park after a heavy defeat against eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinal round.
Players to win most ATP Masters 1000 matches (Men):
- Rafael Nadal - 406
- Novak Djokovic - 400
- Roger Federer - 381
- Andy Murray - 228
- Andre Agassi - 2-9
However, a win helped Djokovic become the most successful player in ATP Masters 1000 history. He surpassed Nadal at the top to hold the highest win percentage of 82.3. The five-time winner at the Paribas Open, Djokovic has won 400 and lost 86 Masters 1000 games while Nadal has won 406 but lost 88 games so far.
Highest winning percentage in ATP Masters 1000 (Men):
- 82.3% - Novak Djokovic (400-86)
- 82.2% - Rafael Nadal (406-88)
- 77.9% - Roger Federer (381-108)
- 75.0% - Carlos Alcaraz (48-16)
- 74.1% - Andre Agassi (209-73)
