Novak Djokovic wins 101st title in Athens to become oldest ATP champion

By the time Novak Djokovic collapsed into his chair courtside, sweat-drenched and hollowed out by the grind of another three-set epic, the message was loud and clear.

At 38, he’s not done yet. Not by a long shot. In front of an adoring Greek crowd, Djokovic claimed his 101st career title at the Hellenic Championship in Athens, outlasting Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a final that teetered between frustration and brilliance.

It was vintage Novak, the kind of performance stitched together with raw grit, acrobatics, and moments of absurd shot-making. Complete with a full-body split chasing a line-hugging forehand.

But this wasn’t just about the title tally, which now puts him behind only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer on the all-time list. With this win, Djokovic also etched his name into the record books as the oldest ATP Tour title-winner since records began in 1990.

At 38 years and 5 months, he eclipses Gael Monfils’ mark set earlier this year in Auckland. Federer, by comparison, was a relative spring chicken at 38 years, 2 months when he won in Basel back in 2019.

“Playing here, and being here, just feels like home,” Djokovic said afterward, his tone a mix of gratitude and subtle irony—after all, this tournament used to be his home event in Belgrade before politics and protests nudged it over the Aegean.

For Musetti, the loss was a brutal full-stop to a draining stretch of tennis and a hopeful year-end push that came up short. The 21-year-old Italian, once viewed as the heir apparent to the great clay-court artists, needed this win to snatch the last ticket to Turin.

Instead, it was Felix Auger-Aliassime, thanks to his own run in Paris, who secured the eighth and final spot for the ATP Tour Finals.

“It’s becoming not a dream, but a nightmare, honestly,” Musetti had confessed in Brussels last month. He’s now lost six finals in a row, and the Athens heartbreak stings not only for its stakes but for the fact that it happened on a surface and stage where he had a real shot.

To add a layer of intrigue, Djokovic’s participation in the ATP Finals still hangs in the air. Though he’s qualified, and was even placed in a group with Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur during the pre-tournament draw, the man himself has yet to make it official.

“I don’t know where he got that information from,” Djokovic quipped when asked about Italian Tennis Federation head Angelo Binaghi’s assertion that he’d confirmed his appearance. “Definitely not from me or my team. I will decide at the end of this tournament.”

Should he choose to play, he’ll enter as one of the most dangerous floaters the event has ever seen.

Indoors, on quick courts, and with a serve that’s aged like fine wine — metronomic, accurate, and unreturnable more often than not — Djokovic remains a menace.

He’s 14-1 against Fritz and de Minaur, and perhaps more crucially, he thrives in three-set formats, the battleground where he’s said he feels best equipped to tackle the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The ATP Finals kick off November 9 in Turin. For now, eight names are on the board.