Novak Djokovic mocks Stefanos Tsitsipas’ ATP 500 streak after Dubai title

Novak Djokovic joked after Stefanos Tsitsipas' victory in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he broke an incredible streak of 11 consecutive defeats in ATP 500 finals. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was aware of the statistic and reacted with laughter on social media.

At 26 years old, Tsitsipas has been one of the most consistent players in recent years, finishing the last seven seasons at least inside the top 15 (five of them in the world’s top six). However, the Greek had a disappointing record when it came to ATP 500 finals.

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Tsitsipas has never had the best record in finals, with 12 titles in 30 appearances. But his biggest nightmare was at ATP 500 events, where he held a historic streak of 11 losses in 11 finals, two of them against Novak Djokovic.

ATP 500 tournaments—both on hard and clay—have seen him face tough opponents throughout his career. Losses to Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, and Carlos Alcaraz were all part of his struggles in this category.

Stefanos Tsitsipas at 2024 French Open.

This Saturday, Tsitsipas defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Dubai final, 6-3, 6-3, breaking the losing streak and claiming his first title since the Monte-Carlo Masters in April last year, as well as his first hardcourt title since winning the Los Cabos Open in August 2023.

His colleague, former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, shared a post on social media congratulating him while joking about the broken streak:

"No one beats @stefanostsitsipas98 12x in a row on 500 Tour level. Well done!"

Djokovic leads their head-to-head 12-2 (6-0 in finals). In fact, the Serbian has won their last 11 encounters. Can Tsitsipas break that losing streak against Djokovic the next time they meet?

Tsitsipas returns to the Top 10 with Dubai title

Tsitsipas was visibly delighted after securing his 12th title, following a year in which his level had dropped and he had lost ground in the rankings. The Greek guaranteed his return to the top 10 for the first time since May 2024—a significant milestone after spending five uninterrupted years among the sport’s elite.

“These are the things we are fighting for as professional tennis players. To be in the top 10 is definitely one of the greatest feelings a tennis player can experience,” he said. “It comes with hard work, sacrifices, and difficult moments you have to endure as a tennis player. I’m happy I’m in a position I can really celebrate right now,” he said.

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“There’s nothing I can say that ensured the win today. Pure fighting and trying my best to avoid a third final loss,” the former world No. 3 added. “It was nerve-wracking. I had a great opponent on the other side of the net. I’m just proud of how I managed to handle the pressure and perform in those crucial moments.”

“This is something I was fighting for a long time. It’s great that it happened here in Dubai. My game kind of clicked. Things worked well from the beginning. I’m very happy with how things progressed over the week and how I was able to close out some matches that didn’t seem like they belonged to me.

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“I had some crazy fights out here. It’s a big relief that I’m able to hold that trophy finally after my third attempt. It’s something I had in the back of my mind. I’m happy I can say I accomplished it.”

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