MELBOURNE: Record-shattering Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches Saturday on his way into the last 16 at the Australian Open. The 38-year-old Serbian great swept past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) under a closed roof on centre court to extend his own all-time record of match wins at the majors. Roger Federer (369) and Serena Williams (365) are next best. Victory was also his 102nd at Melbourne Park, where he has won 10 titles, to equal Federer with most Australian Open singles wins. Djokovic&#39;s reward is a fourth-round clash with either Czech rising star Jakub Mensik or American tournament debutant Ethan Quinn whose match was delayed due to extreme heat. The 24-time Slam winner is in good form so far as he bids to shatter the recent dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. &quot;I&#39;m still trying to give these young guys a push for their money,&quot; said Djokovic. &quot;I&#39;m still around. I&#39;m hanging in there. &quot;Obviously Alcaraz and Sinner are the two best players in the world. They&#39;re playing on a different level from all of us right now. &quot;But, you know, when you enter the court and the ball rolls, you always have a chance.&quot; The 75th-ranked van de Zandschulp upset Djokovic in three sets at Indian Wells last year, but never looked like pulling off another shock. The fourth seed wound back the clock with some phenomenal tennis in set one, securing the critical break in the fourth game after a mammoth 26-point rally. He broke the Dutchman again on his opening serve on the second set and moved to 4-2, but it was a struggle and he became noticeably more irritable. At one point, he smacked a ball towards an advertising hoarding out of frustration and nearly hit a ball kid, quickly apologising. Djokovic got work on his foot during a medical time in set three, seemingly for a blister, as they exchanged breaks and the set went to a tiebreak where he proved the most resilient. Djokovic has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp after their men's singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 24, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Tennis

Record-shattering Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches Saturday on his way into the last 16 at the Australian Open.

Djokovic wins record 400th Slam match to power on in Australia

SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic had a relatively straightforward victory at the Shanghai Masters for a change as he beat unseeded Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the semifinals, where he will face No. 204-ranked qualifier Valentin Vacherot from Monaco. The 38-year-old Djokovic has struggled in the hot and humid conditions in Shanghai, vomiting during previous matches and needing medical attention when he slumped to the ground in exhaustion after being taken to a third set by Jaume Munar in the previous round. The only major blip against Bergs was being broken when he led 5-4 in the second set, before finally converting his third match point. &ldquo;I should have closed out the match at 5-4,&rdquo; Djokovic said. &quot;Very challenging conditions these days for all the players, and I was just trying to stay alive on the court. I&rsquo;m glad to overcome this hurdle.&rdquo; It was the first meeting between Djokovic and Bergs. &ldquo;Man, I&#39;ve got to stop idolizing you,&rdquo; Bergs said with a smile before the 26-year-old Belgian hugged Djokovic at the net. Vacherot stunned 10th-seeded Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to become the second lowest-ranked semifinalist in Masters 1000 events in the past 35 years, according to the ATP. &ldquo;This is just unbelievable,&rdquo; Vacherot said in an on-court interview. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t come as a qualifier, I came as an alternate. I wasn&rsquo;t even sure I was going to play qualifying.&rdquo; Vacherot clinched the win when Rune netted a return of serve, then fell to his knees on the baseline with both hands to his face against the court surface. Rune had struggled with mobility because of leg cramps in the third set.

Novak Djokovic advanced to the Shanghai Masters semifinal after defeating Zizou Bergs. He will face world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot, who shocked Holger Rune to become one of the lowest-ranked semifinalists in 35 years.

Articles tagged with "Djokovic"

Djokovic wins record 400th Slam match to power on in Australia

Djokovic reaches Shanghai semis, faces world no. 204 Vacherot in surprise matchup