Novak Djokovic is the most successful player in Australian Open history.
The Serbian star has been simply unstoppable in Melbourne, winning all 10 of the Australian Open finals he has participated in.
Only Rafael Nadal has a greater record at a singles Grand Slam event. The Spaniard won 14 French Open titles during his career.
For all of Djokovic’s dominance in Australia, he was not completely invincible.
This was proven by Denis Istomin, who produced one of the biggest shocks in tennis history when he played the Serb in 2017.
Denis Istomin upset Novak Djokovic at the 2017 Australian Open
Denis Istomin, the world number 117 at the time, was not expected to advance particularly far at the 2017 Australian Open.
However, the wildcard entry began the tournament in fine form, defeating Ivan Dodig 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the first round.
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In the second round he faced second seed Novak Djokovic, who had defeated former Australian Open semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco in his opening match.
Djokovic was a two-time defending champion in 2017 and had won six Australian Open titles.
The Uzbekistani player produced an unbelievable performance to oust the Serbian ace, winning 7-6, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.
During the on-court interview, Istomin said: “First of all, I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today.
“I mean, I surprised myself also today. I want to thank my team, who do a good job. Amazing.
“So much emotion on my mind I cannot hold it you know, but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me.”
Istomin also revealed what his mother, Klaudiya had told him after the match. Klaudiya had coached the Uzbekistani player throughout his career.
“She said, ‘good job,’” Istomin told the interviewer while grinning.
“Thanks to my mother, she was always believing in me. She was always saying, ‘just keep going and just practice.’
After the match, Djokovic said: “All the credit to Denis for playing amazing. He deserved to win.
“At the moment I just want to go home, spend time with my family, and that’s all.
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The Olympic champion acknowledged that the defeat to Istomin hurt just as much as any past losses.
“Of course. I’m not used to losing in the Australian Open second round,” he added.
“I’ve always played so well. Throughout the last 10 years, I’ve won six titles here. This court has been so nice to me. I enjoyed it very much.
“Of course, it’s disappointing. But the end of the day I have to accept it.”
Djokovic, who has recently added a new coach to his team, will hope to capture a 25th Grand Slam title at the 2026 Australian Open.
How far did Istomin go?
After defeating Djokovic, Istomin beat former US Open semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta in five sets: 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
He then lost to ninth seed Gregor Dimitrov in the fourth round. The ATP Finals champion won the contest 2-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Dimitrov reached the semi-finals before losing to Rafael Nadal in five sets.
Roger Federer won the title, defeating Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. It was his final Grand Slam triumph before his retirement in 2022.
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