Djokovic breaks Federer’s record.

Novak Djokovic became the oldest player to reach the Masters 1000 semi-finals, after defeating Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6(4) at the Miami Open on March 27.

At 37 years and 10 months, Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer to become the oldest player to reach the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event since the system was established in 1990. Previously, Federer, at 37 years and 7 months, reached this round of both the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open in 2019.

Djokovic has a good chance of reaching the final, and even winning the title, as most of the top seeds in Miami have been eliminated. Before Djokovic plays Sebastian Korda, top seed Alexander Zverev lost to Arthur Fils in the fourth round. His biggest remaining opponent is third seed Taylor Fritz, who had a tough match against Matteo Berrettini, winning 7-5, 6-7(9), 7-5.

Djokovic returns serve during the match against Korda, at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA on March 27. Photo: Reuters
Djokovic will face a familiar foe in Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals , with the Bulgarian exhausted after a long and dramatic quarter-final against Francisco Cerundolo. Nole has won 12 of his 13 previous meetings with Dimitrov, including the last 10.

Djokovic played a near-perfect game against Korda, losing just one point on first serve in the first set. He closed out the set in blistering form, winning all 12 points on his final serve. In the 82-minute match, the 40-time Masters 1000 record holder won 84% of his first serve points and faced just one break point.

It was this break-point that put Djokovic in a difficult position in the second set, when Korda took a 4-2 lead. However, Djokovic’s ability at crucial moments always sets him apart from the rest. In a situation where he had to win the serve at 3-5, Djokovic forced Korda to the back of the court with difficult ball control, then took advantage of the first break-point to close the gap. The Serbian then won the next service game, dragging his junior into a tie-break. In his strong match, Djokovic held all six service points, and successfully took advantage of a mini-break to win 7-4.

“Today I felt my serve,” Djokovic said of the key factor in his win. “Korda made me run a lot and he was really good at the back of the court. I used my serve to get me out of trouble a lot, especially in the tie-break. I ended it with an ace and it was perfect.”

Djokovic is just two wins away from his seventh Miami title and 100th ATP Tour title. He is on a year-and-a-half title drought, which has lasted since the 2023 ATP Finals. Djokovic’s record in Miami has been impressive, with a 20-1 record after reaching the quarterfinals. His only defeat in that streak was to his coach, Andy Murray, in the 2009 final.