Djokovic Battles Past Hurkacz to Claim 100th ATP Title
#image_title

Djokovic Battles Past Hurkacz to Claim 100th ATP Title


Share this post

Novak Djokovic became just the third man to win 100 ATP titles with a typically dramatic comeback victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the final of the Geneva Open on Saturday.

The 38-year-old, playing in Switzerland in a bid to find form ahead of the French Open, recovered from losing the first set to clinch a 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2) win after three hours and five minutes on court.

Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the only players with a century of tour titles.

"I had to work for it, that's for sure. He was probably closer to the victory the entire match than me," said Djokovic, who is the first man to win titles in 20 consecutive years.

"I was just trying to hang in there... this is what happens at this level. A few points decide it, an incredible match... and I'm delighted to clinch the 100 here."

It was the former world number one's first tournament triumph since clinching his maiden Olympic gold medal against Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Games last summer.

Djokovic had lost both of his previous matches on clay this season prior to the Geneva tournament, against Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi at the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters respectively.

But he decided to play at the low-key clay-court event in a bid to find form ahead of the start of the year's second Grand Slam event on Sunday at Roland Garros, where the Serb will be targeting a record-breaking 25th major singles trophy.

It was Djokovic's first tournament since splitting from coach and old rival Andy Murray, but he showed no ill-effects.

Poland's former world number six Hurkacz, now ranked 31st, is still waiting for his first title since April 2024.

"It's really inspiring how you conduct yourself on and off the court," Hurkacz said to Djokovic.

The three-time Roland Garros champion starts his French Open campaign against American Mackenzie McDonald on either Monday or Tuesday.

After a tight start, Djokovic saw two break points come and go in the fifth game as Hurkacz battled to keep the first set on serve.

The opener appeared to be meandering towards a ti-break until Djokovic cracked in game 12, following a loose forehand at deuce with a double-fault on set point to give Hurkacz a one-set advantage.

Hurkacz dug deep to secure a hard-fought hold to kick off the second set, staving off another break point.

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, but this time Djokovic was able to hold at 6-5 down to force a tie-break with an ace.

The Serb found his groove in the breaker, reeling off four straight points to send the match into a deciding set.

But Djokovic immediately gave up his serve in the first game of the third set, serving a double-fault when 40-30 up and then blasting a backhand long on break point.

Hurkacz then reeled off three successive holds to love to edge towards the title, only to crumble in the eighth game of the decider with two unforced errors and a double-fault to gift Djokovic a way back into the final.

The Pole gathered himself to secure a deciding tie-break in a tense 12th game.

But he crumbled at the crucial moments with back-to-back errors from 3-2 behind in the breaker, leaving Djokovic to reach yet another milestone in his illustrious career with an ace.


Share this post
Comments

Be the first to know

Join our community and get notified about upcoming stories

Subscribing...
You've been subscribed!
Something went wrong
NBA Roundup: Pistons Extend Win Streak to 7, Heat Win on Buzzer-Beating Alley-Oop

NBA Roundup: Pistons Extend Win Streak to 7, Heat Win on Buzzer-Beating Alley-Oop

Cade Cunningham's triple double, Daniss Jenkins's three-pointer at the buzzer and Javonte Green's overtime dunk lifted Detroit past Washington 137-135 on Monday, stretching the Pistons' win streak to seven games. In an unexpected thriller, the NBA's second-best team barely outlasted a Wizards club that fell to an NBA-worst 1-10 with their ninth consecutive loss. "We knew how big this game was for us," Jenkins said. "We wasn't going to let nothing stop us from getting this W." Cunningham made


O A

Syria to Join US-Led Coalition Against Islamic State After Trump Meeting

Syria to Join US-Led Coalition Against Islamic State After Trump Meeting

Syria will join the international coalition to combat the Islamic State group, marking a shift in US foreign policy in the Middle East, a senior Trump administration official has confirmed.  The announcement came as President Donald Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House - the first such visit from a Syrian leader in the country's history. In an interview with Special Report on Fox News, al-Sharaa said the visit was part of a "new era" in which the country would co-opera


O A

BBC Chief Tim Davie Resigns After Row Over Trump Documentary

BBC Chief Tim Davie Resigns After Row Over Trump Documentary

The director general of the British Broadcasting Corporation announced his resignation Sunday following a row over the editing of a documentary about US President Donald Trump. Tim Davie and the BBC’s head of news, Deborah Turness, resigned after accusations that a documentary by its flagship Panorama programme edited a speech by Trump in a misleading way. “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable,” Davie said in a statement


O A

Listen to the 8 Songs Nominated for the 68th Grammys’ Song of the Year Award

Listen to the 8 Songs Nominated for the 68th Grammys’ Song of the Year Award

The Recording Academy has officially named the 2026 Grammy nominees, and now the world is waiting for February 1st to see who will take home an award during the Los Angeles ceremony. And one of the most highly anticipated categories is the Song of the Year category. Lady Gaga, Doechii, Rosé and Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny, HUNTR/X, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, and Billie Eilishare all up for songs that really resonated, ruling the radio and replaying on our playlists all year. From cha


O A