Photo credit: Gonet Geneva Open Facebook
A dramatic duel escalated to three thrilling hours.
Then Novak Djokovic turned championship point to exclamation point hitting a milestone mark with an ace.
Djokovic drilled an ace down the T, sealing his 100th career championship with a pulsating 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) comeback victory over Hubert Hurkacz in today’s Gonet Geneva Open final.
The Grand Slam king joins fellow icons Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the third man in Open Era history to capture 100 Tour-level titles.
Fans serenaded Djokovic with a sing-song chorus of “Nole! Nole! Nole!” to celebrate his first title since he out-dueled Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics final to capture the Olympic gold medal for Serbia last August.
“I want to thank my family, primarily I want to thank my wife and kids for coming on three days cutting the school break just to be with me,” Djokovic told fans during the trophy presentation. “My team, the only thing I can say is thank you not only for being with me in good times, but also the bad times.”
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It was Djokovic’s first tournament working with new coach and long-time friend Dusan Vemic and Boris Bosnjakovic. During stressful times, Djokovic gave his box the business throughout the tournament and in victory he thanked them for their calm belief.
“Today was very challenging to stay with me on the court because I was going off on you guys throughout the match,” Djokovic said. “Only you know how difficult it was to sustain this level of craziness.
“I want to thank you for staying with me and earning with me this victory number 100.”
Down 2-4 in the decider, Djokovic was two Hurkacz holds away from seeing his dream of 100 titles dashed, but he dug in with defiance. Djokovic attacked net effectively at times and wisely targeted Hurkacz’s forehand wing, battering out four forehand errors from the Pole in the final tiebreaker.
Talk about an ecstasy and agony moment: While Djokovic fans were bouncing up and down in the aisle chanting his name, Hurkacz sat on his court-side seat and buried his face in his hands looking on the verge of tears. You can understand his pain: Hurkacz fired 19 aces, saved four of five break points and was within two holds of defeating Djokovic for the first time only to bow and fall to 0-8 lifetime vs. the Serbian superstar.
“Congrats to Novak, his family, his team,” said Hurkacz, who was pure class in defeat. “One hundred tournament [titles] it’s a lot.
“It’s really inspiring how you present yourself on the court and off the court. It’s really incredible what you’ve achieved. Congrats for that. It’s really incredible what you’ve achieved for the whole sport of tennis.”
Two days after celebrating his 38th birthday, Djokovic solidified his status as champion for the ages and a winner for all generations.
Olympic-gold-medal champion Djokovic defeated two-time Olympic gold-medal winner Nicolas Massu to win his first Tour-level title at 2006 Amersfoort. Today, Massu, who coaches Hurkacz, watched history unfold from the coaches box—and nearly helped his charge halt history.
In one week, Djokovic went from winless on clay this season to scoring four much-needed dirt victories in preparation for pursuing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam championship at Roland Garros, which begins tomorrow.
Hall of Famer and TNT analyst John McEnroe told the media yesterday he regards Djokovic as a solid third favorite to win Roland Garros behind only reigning champion Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. If Djokovic were to face fellow Olympic gold-medal champion Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarterfinals, McEnroe said he regards Djokovic as a favorite in that match.
Djokovic has won Roland Garros in two of his last four appearances, but ran into a red-hot Hurkacz today.
Despite wrapping around his right knee, the 6’5” Hurkacz was moving well and whipping strikes.
In a superb seventh game, the powerful Pole pounded a forehand down the line—his third straight winner—stamping a love hold for 4-3.
The heaviness of playing for history was a burden Djokovic did not shake in the 12th game.
The second seed held game point to force the tiebreaker when Hurkacz hammered a clean backhand crosscourt to draw even at deuce.
That shot spooked Djokovic, who trampolined a forehand off the tape that sailed long for set point. A jittery Djokovic double-faulted off the tape to gift Hurkacz the break and 53-minute opening set.
Though Djokovic held two break points and pressured the Pole’s serve more frequently, Hurkacz delivered some stinging strikes. It was just the fifth time in 22 sets Hurkacz took a set from Djokovic.
World No. 31 Hurkacz saved a break point with a smash holding to start the second set.
The big-serving Hurkacz denied another dilemma in a tricky deuce game holding for a 4-3 second-set lead.
Snapping a slider serve down the T, Djokovic fired an ace to force the second-set tiebreaker.
The tiebreaker turned on a fantastic front-court play from the Serbian. A sliding Djokovic dipped an excellent backhand drop volley for 4-2 and followed it up punching a forehand volley for 5-2.
On set point, Djokovic bounced a smash to force a final set after two hours of fierce play. Djokovic had won 14 of 16 trips to net by then.
The 28-year-old Hurkacz left the court before the start of the decider.
After about a seven-minute break play resumed and Djokovic dug himself a hole with a pair of double faults. A Hurkacz slice hit a divot or dead spot and did not bounce up scooting beneath Djokovic’s racquet for break point. When Djokovic sailed a forehand, Hurkacz had his second break of the day for 1-0.
Hurkacz threw down his 13th ace to back up the break for a 2-0 lead after two hours, 20 minutes of play.
Though Djokovic was shifting his return position—sometime dropping deep and sometimes playing closer to the line—Hurkacz had his range and rhythm ripping an ace to seal his second love hold in a row for 3-1.
Showing spring in his step, Djokovic finally broke through in the eighth game. A tight Hurkacz sent a forehand long to face double break point. Hurkacz hit a wide serve to save his fourth break point of the match.
On the next break point, Djokovic dashed to his right lofted a lob to extend the point and flashed a forehand pass to break back for 4-all. That stirring sequence had Geneva fans chanting “Nole! Nole! Nole!”
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Though Hurkacz, who switched from a Yonex to Wilson Blade racquet this season, had fired his forehand down the line with confidence for much of the match that stroke betrayed him in the breaker.
Credit Djokovic for moving the ball around and making Hurkacz deliver the goods under duress on that sometimes volatile wing.
The tiebreaker was even at 1-all then Djokovic drew four forehand errors from Hurkacz over the next six points charging ahead 6-2.
Drilling his sixth ace, Djokovic capped his 100th career championships—and a three hour, three-minute battle—in supreme style.