Djokovic achieves rare milestone despite skipping several events ahead of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic reached a historic milestone ahead of the 2026 Australian Open despite not playing a competitive match this year.

Novak Djokovic will be back in action at Australian Open 2026. Image: AP

FP Sports Desk|Jan 13, 2026, 13:00:25 IST

Novak Djokovic has achieved a remarkable milestone ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, even though he has not played a competitive match this year. The Serbian tennis legend has now completed 1,000 consecutive weeks inside the ATP top 40, a rare achievement in modern tennis.

Despite skipping recent warm-up tournaments, Djokovic’s consistency over nearly two decades has once again been highlighted with 1,000 straight weeks among the world’s top 40 players. He is currently ranked fourth in the ATP standings and sits behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic, who is 38 years old and has previously held the world No.1 ranking for a record number of weeks, is unlikely to fall out of the top 40 anytime soon despite losing his prime form. Meanwhile, this latest milestone will boost his confidence as he prepares for another Australian Open campaign.

Can Djokovic win his 25th major?

The Serbian great is chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam title, but the challenge will not be easy. He reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams last year, but couldn't end the drought of a major title that has lasted since the 2023 US Open. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner completely dominated the circuit in 2025.

Djokovic's last major win came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he beat Alcaraz and secured the elusive gold medal. In March 2025, he became only the third player after Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) to clinch his 100th ATP Tour title in the Open Era.

This year, Djokovic's main aim will be to win that elusive 25th Grand Slam to beat Margaret Court's Open era record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

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Djokovic achieves rare milestone despite skipping several events ahead of Australian Open

Can Djokovic win his 25th major?

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Jannik Sinner retains Wimbledon title after beating Alexander Zverev

Noskova outlasts Muchova to claim maiden Wimbledon title in thrilling all-Czech final

Novak Djokovic's record title bid ends as Jannik Sinner storms into Wimbledon final

Muchova outlasts Gauff to set up all-Czech Wimbledon final

Taylor Fritz’s Wimbledon run cut short by knee tendinitis in quarterfinal defeat to Alexander Zverev