Novak Djokovic made more tennis history by winning a 100th career singles title on Saturday and his first in a city that is special to his family.
Djokovic finally reached his century after rallying to beat Hubert Hurkacz 5-7, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) in more than three hours in the Geneva Open final. He lost his two previous finals since his 99th title win nine months ago at the Paris Olympics at Roland-Garros.
He joins tennis greats Jimmy Connors, who has a record 109 titles, and Roger Federer on 103 as the only men with a century of tournament wins in the Open era.
The 100th followed a typically tough and hard-working match, two days after his 38th birthday and surrounded by his family in the Swiss city where some relatives reside.
“I’m just grateful to clinch the 100 here,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “I had to work for it, that is for sure.”
His wife and children joined him in Geneva to celebrate his birthday after cutting a day off school, Djokovic quipped, also revealing another reason why he grabbed a late wild-card entry into the last clay-court warmup for the French Open.
The lakeside city is home to a much-loved aunt and uncle, and cousins including one who recently gave birth to a baby the Djokovics really wanted to meet.
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The three-time French Open champion now heads back to Paris looking to add to his 24 Grand Slam singles titles. He has a first-round match on Monday against Mackenzie McDonald of the United States.
Winner in 20 different seasons
The Serb clinched with an ace down the middle to complete a surge to victory after breaking Hurkacz’s serve for the first time while trailing 4-3 in the deciding set. Djokovic took that break-point chance with a forehand cross-court winner advancing to the net on Hurkacz’s sliced half-volley.
“Hubert was probably closer to the victory the entire match than I was,” Djokovic said. "I don’t know how I broke his serve.”
He is the first man in the Open era to win a title in 20 different seasons.
Djokovic's 100th singles title came nearly 19 years after the first in July 2006. That also was on clay, at Amersfoort in the Netherlands, against Nicolás Massú — the Chilean who now coaches Hurkacz.
“It’s really inspiring how you present yourself on the court, off the court. It’s just really incredible what you have achieved,” Hurkacz said to the winner in the on-court trophy presentations.
Djokovic collected his trophy in front of three golden balloons tethered to the court spelling out 1-0-0.
Came to Geneva desperate
Since the Paris Olympics, he had lost finals at the Shanghai Masters to Jannik Sinner last year, and the Miami Masters to Jakub Mensik in March.
Djokovic got much more than the match practice he came to Geneva for. He had fallen to quick exits in April from the previous tournaments he entered in the European clay-court season, at Monte Carlo and Madrid.
Djokovic had break-point chances early in the first two sets and did not take them. At 2-2 in the first set, Hurkacz saved the second of back-to-back chances with a powerful service winner.
Hurkacz clinched the first set with his only break-point chance when Djokovic double-faulted.
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In the opening game of the second set Hurkacz saved Djokovic's next chance with an overhead winner at the net. In the tiebreaker, Djokovic dominated to force the decider.
Hurkacz immediately broke serve again to lead the third set. He got the chance when a low bouncing ball dived under Djokovic’s racket, and took it when the second-seeded Serb sent a forehand long.