Novak Djokovic made a winning start at the Miami Masters. The six-time champion took down Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6 in the second round, moving through and achieving the ultimate Masters 1000 milestone.
Novak celebrated his 410th triumph at this level, matching Rafael Nadal’s record and hoping to pass his great rival in the third round. Nadal ended his career with 410 Masters 1000 victories, struggling in 2023 and 2024 and adding only a couple to his tally.
The Serb could have passed him in 2024. However, the Serb did not enter too many Masters 1000 events, focusing on Majors and the Olympic Games in Paris. Novak fell to Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final, finishing the season with 409 Masters 1000 wins.
.@MarcAnthony: certified @DjokerNole fan 🤩@atptour | @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/vS7kBzRjAb
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 22, 2025
The legend failed to catch Nadal in Indian Wells after a tough second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp. Djokovic fixed that in Miami, playing well against Hijikata and achieving a notable feat at 37.
Novak’s 400th Masters 1000 win came in Indian Wells last year. With Nadal ending his career, it was clear that Djokovic would pass him and become the record-holder, maintaining a high level a couple of months before turning 38.
