Novak Djokovic’s career has spanned more than two decades, rewriting tennis history in his own terms with 24 Grand Slam titles. Tennis's G.O.A.T. has got a record of spending 428 weeks as world number one and an unmatched consistency against the sport’s best. For most players, a meeting with the Serbian has meant walking into a near-certain, almost soul-sucking defeat. His dominance is so staggering that even the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal trail in their H2H record against him.

For example, Federer trails Djokovic by 23-27. Last year, during an interview with El Pais, the Swiss spoke about the rise of the ‘Serbinator.’ He said, “So while everyone loved the rivalry between Rafa and me, suddenly Novak burst in alone, from that point of view, as the third, and… I think it’s incredible how he’s been able to develop as a player and also as a person.” Even against Nadal, Djokovic has a H2H record of 31-29.

While giving an interview with AS, the Spaniard heaped praise on Novak Djokovic, saying, “He’s a player who has managed to maintain a very high level and improve every year. The numbers show he’s the best, which means his tennis has also been the best.” He claimed playing against Nole was an “incredible challenge.”

Yet amid this reign of supremacy, a rare few players have managed to maintain a winning record against the Serb. Some achieved it early in Djokovic's career, when he was still finding his footing, while others scored a surprise win just before their paths with him diverged. Here’s a closer look at the exclusive list of men who can claim a winning H2H over Incredible Nole:

Andy Roddick (5-4)

Although Novak Djokovic started off with a win against the American in the QF of the 2007 Canadian Open, Andy Roddick still managed to get the better of the Serb on five occasions. Roddick was renowned for his fiery serves and lethal groundstrokes. His tactics and utilization of the first serve troubled young Nole very much during the early days. 

But in 2021, while sharing his thoughts on Djokovic as an opponent, Roddick stated, “First he takes your legs ...Then he takes your soul.” With that statement, he tried to give an idea about how Djokovic wears down his opponents by stretching the matches with the help of longer rallies. 

Nick Kyrgios (2-1)

Yes, surprisingly, the Aussie has the edge against the former world number one. He has defeated Novak Djokovic in Acapulco (2017) and Indian Wells (2017), while Nole got the better of Kyrgios in the final of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. He defeated Kyrgios by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) in that match.

From being archrivals, they have transitioned into close friends now. Kyrgios is among the lucky ones who got the chance to read Djokovic’s game from a closer distance. In 2023, while sharing his thoughts on Djokovic’s game, he said, “He’s (Djokovic) so mentally in tune with everything… His composure in certain moments where another player would have started to panic—he didn’t show me. He’s calmer. You can’t rush him. He’s more patient. You can’t teach that. It comes from experience.” Hearing this during the conversation on Break Point, Andy Roddick claimed Novak is the “master of the game.” It’s truly amazing what he does on the court even at this age!

Marat Safin (2-0)

Safin is among those few who have a clean sheet against Novak Djokovic, and guess what? Both these wins came at bigger stages.

His first win came in the first round of the 2005 AO, and then the second one was in the R64 of the 2008 Wimbledon. Interestingly, Djokovic has never won a set against Marat Safin!

Jiri Vesely (2-0)

Here comes another one who has a flawless record against the Serb. The 32-year-old Czech had first tasted success against Novak Djokovic at the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters.

Although Djokovic was handed a walkover (without stepping onto the court) in their R64 match at the 2016 US Open, Jiri Vesely did manage to get the better of Nole in the QF of the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Ivo Karlovic (2-1)

Surprisingly, even the Croatian, Ivo Karlovic, has gotten the better of Novak Djokovic two times in his career. His decent serves, along with his strong resilience, have often put Djokovic wrong-footed in their clashes.

However, the Serb did manage to sneak a victory against the Croatian in their very first meeting (2008 ATP Masters 1000 Hamburg).

Fernando Gonzalez (2-1)

The Chilean met Djokovic during his formative years on the Tour. Gonzalez secured a three-set triumph over Novak Djokovic in their very first meeting in the R64 of the 2005 Cincinnati Open. But then at the 2006 Roland Garros, the Serb got the better of him in a five-set thriller.

However, Fernando Gonzalez did manage to secure yet another victory against Djokovic in the QF of the 2006 Madrid Open.

Other than these players, there are some others who have a 1-0 record against Novak Djokovic, and that list includes Filippo Volandri, Dennis Van Scheppingen, Antony Dupuis, and also Taro Daniel. Did we miss out on any names? Do let us know if you can remember any other players who have an upper hand against the ‘Serbinator.’

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta