ATP ATHENS, Greece.
Novak Djokovic captured the 101st title of his career on Saturday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, further enlarging in Athens a résumé that belongs to the Olympus of sport. The Serbian star battled back in a thrilling final to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, capping off his 2025 season in spectacular fashion.
“It was an incredible battle… three hours of physically exhausting tennis,” Djokovic said after sealing his second title of the year, following his triumph earlier in Geneva. “It could have gone either way—congratulations to Lorenzo for an amazing performance. I’m really proud of myself for pushing through this match.”
For Musetti, victory would have meant surpassing Felix Auger-Aliassime and clinching the final qualifying spot for the Nitto ATP Finals. However, following Djokovic’s later withdrawal from the event, the Italian confirmed his first-ever appearance at the prestigious year-end tournament in Turin.
Now a resident of Athens for several months, Djokovic enjoyed overwhelming crowd support throughout the match and celebrated his victory with a thunderous roar, collapsing to the court in relief after three grueling hours—a fitting image for the tension and drama that unfolded.
“Novak, there aren’t many words left to describe you and your career,” said Musetti, who now trails 1-9 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head. “You keep proving, even at your age, that you can still beat all of us, like you did today. Every time we share the court, I learn something new—thank you for that.”
The Italian, who has now lost six consecutive finals, fell just short of claiming the third ATP Tour title of his career, after triumphs in Naples and Hamburg in 2022.
With his triumph in Athens, Novak Djokovic became the player with the most hard-court titles in the Open Era (72), breaking his tie with Swiss legend Roger Federer. The Serbian is also the active leader in indoor titles, with 20 trophies under his belt.
Interestingly, Djokovic’s love affair with hard courts dates back to his very first ATP title, which also came on this surface in Amersfoort 2006, marking the beginning of a historic journey that now spans two decades of excellence.