French Open News: Novak Djokovic Ties Roger Federer’s Historic Record

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has tied Roger Federer’s record of at least 70 wins in all four Grand Slam tournaments. The Serbian star accomplished this feat on Thursday after defeating Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis in three sets, 6-1 6-2 6-2.

The 2016 French Open champion was in top form when he advanced to the third round of Roland Garros. Aside from his 70 wins at the French Open, he also recorded 75 wins at the Australian Open, 72 at Wimbledon and 75 at the U.S. Open.

Federer, meanwhile, has 70 wins at the French Open, 102 at the Australian Open, 101 at Wimbledon and 89 at the U.S. Open.

"Grand Slams are obviously the biggest tournaments in our sport. Historically, they count the most. So of course winning that many matches [at] each Slam is a great achievement," Djokovic said after his Thursday match, ATP Tour reported.

"Of course it makes me proud, makes me happy," he continued.

Being tied with Federer in this historic statistic is a big accomplishment as the Swiss legend has been hailed by many as the greatest tennis player of all time.

"It's kind of a confirmation for me that I have been able to play my best tennis throughout my career on the biggest tournaments," Djokovic shared, Yahoo Sports reported.

Prior to the French Open, Djokovic was in one of the best physical conditions of his career. He’s won multiple titles across the season’s calendar, including the Australian Open earlier this January. Throughout 2020, Djokovic has only lost once and that was due to the controversial default in last month’s U.S. Open.

Djokovic is looking forward to adding another Grand Slam to his already illustrious career. He is within reach of his rival, Rafael Nadal, in the overall major count. Despite the Spaniard being only one win away from tying Federer’s record of 20 trophies, Djokovic isn’t too far behind with 17 of his own.

The next matchup for Djokovic is Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan. Despite being the favored winner, the 33-year-old star emphasized that he will not underestimate his opponent.

"I don't know much about him, to be honest. I have never seen him play, so I'll have to obviously look at his matches, the videos, and try to prepare myself with my team," Djokovic said. "It's always dangerous facing opponents you never faced before."