Tennis legend Novak Djokovic secured the 101st title of his illustrious career after a hard-fought comeback victory over Lorenzo Musetti, defeating the Italian 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the ATP Athens final on Saturday.
With the win, the 24-time Grand Slam champion joined an elite group of players to surpass the 100-title mark, trailing only Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) on the all-time list.
At 38 years and five months, Djokovic also became the oldest player to win an ATP title since Ken Rosewall, who triumphed in Hong Kong at the age of 43 in 1977.
“It was an incredible battle three hours of a gruelling, physical match,” Djokovic said after the final. “It could have gone either way, so congratulations to Lorenzo for an amazing performance. I’m very proud of myself for pushing through.”
The Athens triumph marks Djokovic’s second title of 2025, following his victory on the clay courts of Geneva in May.
Musetti, who fell to 1-9 in head-to-head meetings with Djokovic, praised the Serbian’s enduring dominance.
“Novak, there’s not much left to say about you or your career,” Musetti remarked. “At your age, you’re still teaching us lessons on court like you did today. Every match against you is an opportunity to learn.”
Musetti had been chasing the final qualifying spot for the ATP Finals in Turin, but his defeat handed the berth to Felix Auger-Aliassime. However, Djokovic’s subsequent withdrawal from the event later opened the door for Musetti to join the field after all.
The Italian, who saved a match point in his semi-final against Sebastian Korda, has now lost six consecutive finals, with his only ATP titles coming in Hamburg and Naples (2022).
Djokovic’s participation in the ATP Finals had long been in question, and he eventually chose to end his season early, skipping the event for the second consecutive year.
The Athens tournament, directed by Djokovic’s brother Djordje Djokovic, was initially set to take place in Belgrade, but was relocated by the ATP in August without explanation.
In recent months, Djokovic typically known for his apolitical stance has voiced support for student-led protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, a move that has reportedly put him at odds with the country’s authorities and pro-government media.
