24
May
May
DJOKOVIC MAKES HISTORY WITH 100TH CAREER SINGLES TITLE
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CapitalTimesNews / 3 weeks
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- 2 min read
Novak Djokovic made more tennis history by winning a 100th career singles title on Saturday and his first in a city that is special to his family. Djokovic finally reached his century after rallying to beat Hubert Hurkacz 5-7, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) in more than three hours to win the Geneva Open final. The 38-year-old Serbian tennis star joins tennis greats Jimmy Connors, who has a record 109 titles, and Roger Federer on 103 as the only men with a century of tournament wins in the Open era. “I’m just grateful to clinch the 100 here,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “I had to work for it, that is for sure.” Djokovic’s wife and children joined him in Geneva to celebrate his birthday after cutting a day off school. The lakeside city is home to a much-loved aunt and uncle, and cousins, including one who recently gave birth to a baby the Djokovics really wanted to meet. The three-time French Open champion now heads back to Paris looking to add to his 24 Grand Slam singles titles. He has a first-round match on Monday against Mackenzie McDonald of the United States. Djokovic clinched the win with an ace down the middle to complete a surge to victory after breaking Hurkacz’s serve for the first time while trailing 4-3 in the deciding set. “Hubert was probably closer to the victory the entire match than I was,” Djokovic said. “I don’t know how I broke his service.” Hurkacz praised Djokovic’s achievements, saying, “It’s really inspiring how you present yourself on the court, off the court. It’s just really incredible what you have achieved.” Djokovic collected his trophy in front of three golden balloons tethered to the court spelling out 1-0-0. The win marks the first time he has won a title in 20 different seasons, a remarkable achievement in the world of tennis.