Novak Djokovic narrowed the lead to the top two on the leaderboard for the most ATP titles in the Open Era.
Djokovic beat Grigor Dimitrov for the umpteenth time in Sunday's final at the Paris Masters to win the 97th ATP title of his illustrious career. In an era where the Serbian has conquered every imaginable record, he is still short in the most trophies won on the ATP Tour.
That accolade is bestowed upon American great Jimmy Connors who won an astonishing 109 career titles in the Open Era (which began in 1968). The only other player to hit the three-digit title haul is Swiss legend Roger Federer who won 103 ATP titles before his retirement in 2022.
Djokovic has already spoken fondly of breaking that record, which could happen at some point next season or in 2025, provided he remains healthy and in competitive shape. At the moment, it doesn't look like he is slowing down in the slightest.
He could still add to his trophy cabinet at the end of next week should he win a seventh ATP Finals crown in Turin where he will be the overwhelming favorite. He'll take his trophy count to 98, which would be five short of Federer and 11 behind Connors.
Djokovic has bagged six titles this season, leveling Carlos Alcaraz for joint-top. We can't forget that Djokovic missed a couple of key tournaments in March, for reasons not related to tennis, in Indian Wells and Miami. Two tournaments he has dominated for many years in the last decade.
It is not beyond him even as he turns 37 next year to rack up double digits in trophies. His motivation remains unquestionable, and his fitness remains at its peak despite having health concerns in Paris this past week. It will depend on how much tennis he intends to play next year.
Djokovic has already made it clear that the Grand Slams are his priority. And he regards the Olympics in high estimation too. So, he might be looking to conserve his energy throughout the year and have a playing schedule very similar to this season.
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