Novak Djokovic has already gone down in tennis history for his stunning feats on the ATP Tour, although they may not be finished just yet.
Djokovic has blown away Caroline Garcia with his latest season on the ATP Tour, during which he’s taken his career titles tally to 100.
He’s behind only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer in the all-time list, with further success still on the cards despite his age.
Djokovic turned 38 earlier this year, but hugely impressively reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams.
He couldn’t quite get over the line to secure a 25th Grand Slam title, but he can hold his head high thanks to his phenomenal efforts.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesHe was Novak Djokovic’s first-ever opponent on the ATP Tour
Legendary figure Djokovic has now played well over 1,000 matches on the ATP Tour, with his glittering career having started out all the way back in 2004.
His debut arrived at the Croatia Open, although it was short-lived as the teenager lost his opening match.
He impressively reached the main draw through qualifying, but was beaten 7-6(7-5), 6-1 by fourth seed Filippo Volandri.
But there was no shame in losing to the Italian, who beat defending champion Carlos Moya in the semifinals before finishing runner-up to Guillermo Canas.
It was incidentally Volandri’s only ever meeting with Djokovic, with the Italian among a rare group of players with a positive win-loss record over the Serbian.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesHow Filippo Volandri has gone from playing against Novak Djokovic to coaching Jannik Sinner
While Djokovic has never got his hands on the Umag Open trophy in Croatia, coming closest as runner-up in 2006, it’s fair to say he’s recovered from that debut defeat.
The Serbian also lost his first-ever Grand Slam final against Roger Federer at the 2007 US Open, but again he’s more than been able to put that behind him.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF
Volandri meanwhile has since gone on to a career in coaching following his retirement from the ATP Tour, having won two titles as a player.
And he’s been enjoying fantastic success in his role as Italy’s Davis Cup captain, having been appointed to the role in January 2021.
Under the guidance of Volandri, Italy have won the last two Davis Cup titles, helped by the presence of current ATP star Jannik Sinner.
Previously Volandri, who once reached number 25 in the world rankings, served as Italy’s national technical director.