Novak Djokovic’s most devout fans reminisced about their idol completing the elusive “Golden Masters” earlier on Tuesday (14 August).
While the Serb holds the record for most Major titles won by a male player, he is also the only player in history to win each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
It was the X-handle of Tennis TV that reminded everyone in the tennis world about Djokovic’s exemplary feat on Tuesday.
Consequently, the 23-time Major winner’s fans proceeded to give themselves bragging rights over the fans of the Serb’s two rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
One pro-Djokovic account named “Krypton Pro Betting” ripped into the famed Fedal duo, who have each won only seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
“Federer and Nadal could never,” said the user, comparing the duo with the 23-time Major winner in terms of versatility.
Soon after, an entire legion of Novak Djokovic’s fans appeared on the scene to celebrate their idol’s accomplishment.
“And is the only player to have completed it,” wrote one user.
“How many times have Federer and Nadal won all the Masters?….oh wait…” wrote another fan, followed by three emojis.
A fan with the username “Cestlaviemacher” added that Novak Djokovic had won each of the nine elite tournaments in ATP not only once but twice.
“And he completed it twice not once,” she wrote, followed by a goat emoji.
After completing the Career Grand Slam in 2016, Djokovic has continued to transcend what it means to be truly versatile. In 2020, the Serb won the Cincinnati Open for the second time in his career, thereby achieving the “Double Career Golden Masters”.
One fan named Abdullah Hammad became overly emotional on the occasion, ruining the fact that Novak Djokovic had ‘spoilt him as a fan by winning so much’.
“F*** Y** Novak. For spoiling us by winning so much. There wouldn’t be anyone else like him. How tf i will cope when he actually retires,” he wrote.
American journalist Ben Rothenberg also reposted the original post made by Tennis TV, insisting that the feat should be renamed “Djokemon,” – a riff on Pokemon (the tagline of the famous show being “Gotta Catch em’ All”).
“”Golden Masters” remains a terrible name for this amazing feat when Djokémon is right there,” Rothenberg wrote.
Another journalist named Prashant felt that the elusive Double Career Golden Masters was the 36-year-old’s “most ludicrous achievement”.
“This is Novak’s most ludicrous achievement I feel! And he won each of the 9 Masters at least twice!”
An X account named “Baseline Brilliance”, meanwhile, went as far as to ruminate on the 23-time Major winner’s prospects of completing a “Triple Career Golden Masters”, provided he won this week’s Cincinnati Open and next year’s Monte Carlo Masters.
“It’s crazy to do it once but Novak has done it twice. If he wins the title here this week in Cincinnati and in Monte-Carlo in 2024, he would essentially complete the Golden Master thrice in his career. It underscores how complete a player he is across all the surface,” they wrote.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have virtually no chance of equalling Novak Djokovic’s feat
Novak Djokovic has won the Indian Wells Masters five times in his career, which is a record he shares with Roger Federer. He also holds the record for most Miami Masters titles, with eight-time Major winner Andre Agassi holding six titles.
The Serb’s next most successful ATP Masters 1000 tournament is the Italian Open, where he has reigned supreme six times (while losing six other finals in Rome). He has also won a record six titles at the Paris-Bercy Masters.
The Shanghai Masters and Canada Masters are his next most successful tournaments, where he has won four titles each. Lastly, he has won three, two, and two titles at Madrid, Cincinnati, and Monte Carlo, respectively.
Nadal and Federer, on the other hand, have played in two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments where they have never triumphed.
While Nadal has never tasted title victory at Miami or Paris-Bercy (it should be noted, however, that he triumphed at Madrid when it occupied the Shanghai Masters’ slot), Federer has gone titleless at Monte Carlo and Rome.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
