Novak Djokovic created history and set multiple world records at the Australian Open 2026 after getting a massive stroke of luck and progressing to the semi-final after winning his quarter-final tie against the Italian star Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday (January 28) at the Rod Laver Arena in the quarter-finals.
The Serbian was on the verge of exiting the tournament after losing the first two sets 6-4, 6-3 and faced an uphill battle to fight back and secure a place in the last four. However, Musetti suffered heartbreak as, after going down 3-1 in the third set, he suffered an injury on the right thigh. The fifth seed was unable to continue playing and had to retire hurt.
This means that Djokovic has reached the semi-final without winning a single set in either the round of 16 or the quarter-final. For those unversed, he got a walkover in the Round of 16 after Jakub Mensik pulled out due to an injury.
Novak Djokovic Shatters Record Books
The victory was Djokovic's 103rd match win at the Australian Open in history, which saw the 10-time champion go past Roger Federer's record for the most wins at the year's first major. The Serbian and the Swiss star, who won the title six times in his career, are the only players to win over 100 matches at Melbourne Park in history.
Most Matches Won at the Australian Open In History
| Player | Wins |
| Novak Djokovic | 103 |
| Roger Federer | 102 |
| Rafael Nadal | 77 |
| Stefan Edbeg | 56 |
| Andy Murray | 51 |
Djokovic's first-round win marked his 100th win at the Australian Open, making him the first player to complete a century of victories in three different Grand Slams. Meanwhile, he completed 400 victories at major events after securing a victory in the third round, which has also not been done by any player previously.
Furthermore, this marked the 19th season in his career during which Djokovic has reached the semi-finals of at least one slam. Since 2007, the Serbian has managed to find a place in the last four of at least one major event every year apart from 2017. This is also the most by any player in history as the fourth seed broke Federer's long-standing record.
Most Seasons In Which Player Reached SF Of Atleast One Grand Slam
| Player | Count | Years |
| Novak Djokovic | 19 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Roger Federer | 18 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Rafael Nadal | 16 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| Andre Agassi | 15 | 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| Jimmy Connors | 14 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1991 |
Djokovic is also the oldest player to reach the last four of the Australian Open in the 21st century, breaking a record set by Roger Federer in 2020 when he lost to the Serbian in the semi-finals. Only Ken Rosewall in 1976 and 1977 has reached this stage of the tournament at an age older than the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Oldest Men's Singles Semi-Finalist at Australian Open
| Player | Age | Year |
| Ken Rosewall | 42 years, 61 days | 1977 |
| Ken Rosewall | 41 years, 54 days | 1976 |
| Novak Djokovic | 38 years, 252 days | 2026 |
| Roger Federer | 38 years, 164 days | 2020 |
| Novak Djokovic | 38 years, 237 days | 2025 |
This marks the 54th semi-final of Djokovic's career in a grand slam, extending his lead on the top spot over Federer (46). It is the 13th time that the Serbian has reached the last four at the Australian Open. Only Federer (15) has made it this stage more times in Melbourne.
Djokovic extended his lead over Jimmy Connors (6452 days) for the record of the biggest time span between first and latest semi-final outing at a major (6820 days). The Serbian's first-ever last-four outing at a Grand Slam was at the 2007 Roland Garros.
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