The prestigious Masters tournaments have all featured Djokovic!

Besides the ongoing United Cup team event and two ATP 250 tournaments, the major headline off the court is Djokovic pulling out of the Australian Open warm-up because of health concerns. Consequently, the ten-time tournament winner will choose to skip straight to the Australian Open.

Likewise, when tallying up the highest prestige Masters tournaments in history, we are amazed to see Djokovic present in the majority of these events. Let's take a look:

1. Nalbandian 2007 Madrid

A tournament that created a timeless record is definitely worth highlighting. Argentine Nalbandian achieved the legendary feat of defeating three of the Big Three—Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic—in the same event to claim the title. Even today, this record remains a unique honor.

2. Tsonga 2014 Toronto

Frenchman Tsonga played the perfect supporting role during Djokovic’s first Grand Slam win, and this title is the more prestigious of his two career championships.

He first defeated two compatriots in the opening rounds to reach the round of 32. In the round of 16, he faced then world No.1 Djokovic and breezed through with two 6-2 sets. In the quarterfinals against world No.9 Murray, he won after a tough three-set battle. In the semifinals, he beat world No.8 Dimitrov in straight sets. In the final, he faced world No.3 Federer and continued his strong performance, winning in straight sets.

3. Rune 2022 Paris

In his only career title so far, Rune also had Djokovic as a backdrop. The Dane dropped a set in the first round but came back to win 7-5, 7-5 against Wawrinka. Then he defeated world No.10 Hurkacz and No.9 Rublev in straight sets.

In the quarterfinals against world No.1 Alcaraz, after taking the first set and approaching a tiebreak in the second, his opponent retired due to injury, allowing Rune to advance to the semifinals. There, he ended Alcaraz’s winning streak on indoor hard courts, showing his excellent form. In the final, despite losing the first set, he dominated the rest of the match.

4. Djokovic 2007 Montreal

After winning his first Masters title in Miami that year, Djokovic reached another final. He had a first-round bye, then easily defeated veteran German Kiefer in the second round and Nalbandian in the third. In the last three matches, he beat world No.3 Roddick, world No.2 Nadal, and world No.1 Federer. This achievement was very impressive.

5. Nadal 2008 Hamburg

Nadal also had a strong performance at the then top-tier Hamburg event. After reaching the round of 16, he defeated Murray, Moya, Djokovic, and Federer to claim the title.

Of course, there are more prestigious Masters titles where defeating Djokovic was part of the champion’s path. Can you think of others?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)