2018 Novak Djokovic tennis season

The 2018 Novak Djokovic tennis season started with the Tie Break Tens event in Melbourne, Australia.

2018 Novak Djokovic tennis season
Full nameNovak Djokovic
Country Serbia
Calendar prize money$15,967,184 (singles & doubles)
Singles
Season record53–13 (80.3%)
Calendar titles4
Year-end rankingNo. 1
Ranking change from previous year 11
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian Open4R
French OpenQF
WimbledonW
US OpenW
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsF
Doubles
Season record2–4 (33.3%)
Calendar titles0
Current ranking268
Year-end ranking 34

Yearly summary

Tie Break Tens

Djokovic returned from his six month injury hiatus since 2017 Wimbledon Championships at the Tie Break Tens event where he played a tune-up for the 2018 Australian Open. He was defeated by Lleyton Hewitt in his first match, 10–6.

Australian Open

Djokovic played his first official match since Wimbledon at the Australian Open. After defeating Donald Young in straight sets, he defeated Gaël Monfils in the second round after dropping the first set, with Monfils succumbing to extreme heat in the latter stages of the match. With a victory over Albert Ramos Viñolas in third round, Djokovic set up a meeting with Korean Chung Hyeon. In a match of constant breaks of serve, Djokovic eventually lost in straight sets due to relentless backcourt defense from Chung and copious unforced errors on critical points. After his loss, Djokovic decided to undergo a surgery on his right elbow, which he claimed was affecting him from previous two years.[1]

Indian Wells Masters

Djokovic surprisingly returned to tour since his surgery at the Indian Wells Masters. After receiving a first round bye, he was upset in the second round by World No. 109 Taro Daniel in three sets.

Miami Open

Djokovic's next event was at the Miami Open, where his spring slump continued as he lost to Benoît Paire in straight sets.

Monte Carlo Masters

Hoping to regain form at the clay court events, Djokovic played at the Monte Carlo Masters. He won his first two matches in straight sets, defeating Dušan Lajović and Borna Ćorić in first and second rounds respectively. His 6–0, 6–1 win over Lajović was particularly dominant and suggested significant improvements in form. In the third round, he lost to World No. 7 and clay court specialist Dominic Thiem. After the match, Djokovic stated : "After two years finally I can play without pain".[2]

Barcelona Open

Inspired by his improvement, Djokovic took a wildcard to play at Barcelona Open[3] He was unable to carry on his run there, and lost to Martin Klizan in his opening round match.

Madrid Open

Djokovic next competed at the Madrid Open. In his first victory over a top-20 opponent in over eight months, he defeated former World No. 5 Kei Nishikori in the first round, before falling to Briton Kyle Edmund. As a result of the loss and failing to defend his semifinals position at the event, Djokovic fell to No. 18, his lowest ranking in twelve years.[4][5]

Italian Open

Djokovic's next event was the Italian Open, where he has previously won four times and was the defending finalist. He progressed to his first quarterfinals appearance since 2017 Wimbledon, defeating Alexandr Dolgopolov, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Albert Ramos in straight sets. He would go on to beat Kei Nishikori, but lose to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinal.

French Open

In Roland Garros, Djokovic beat Roberto Bautista Agut and Fernando Verdasco en route to the quarterfinals, where he suffered a shocking defeat to Marco Cecchinato in four sets.

Queen's Club

Djokovic took a wildcard to play at Queen's Club for the first time since 2010. He beat second seed Grigor Dimitrov, Adrian Mannarino, and Jérémy Chardy to reach the final. In the final, he lost to Marin Čilić in three sets, despite holding a match point.[6]

Wimbledon

Showing further improvement in form, Djokovic beat Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren, British number one Kyle Edmund, and Kei Nishikori to set up a semifinal against Rafael Nadal. In the second longest Wimbledon semifinal to date, Djokovic beat Nadal in five sets played over two days.[7]

He then defeated Kevin Anderson in the final in straight sets to win his fourth Wimbledon title and 13th overall Grand Slam title. This was his first title of the season, which catapulted him from 21st back into the 10th spot in the rankings. He also became the lowest ranked male player to win a Wimbledon title since Goran Ivanišević won it in 2001 as a wildcard.[8]

Canadian Open

Djokovic started his US Open series campaign with straightforward wins against Mirza Bašić and Peter Polansky in Toronto, but fell in the third round to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Cincinnati Masters

Next for Djokovic was the Cincinnati Masters, the only Masters 1000 tournament he hadn't won. After beating Steve Johnson in straight sets, Djokovic faced several difficult matches in a row. He had to come back from a one-set deficit against Adrian Mannarino and ATP number 5 Grigor Dimitrov, and needed three sets to beat Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals and Marin Čilić in the semifinals.

Djokovic then beat top-seeded and number 2 ranked Roger Federer in straight sets in the final. It was their first match since their semifinal match at the 2016 Australian Open. With this win, Djokovic became the first singles player to complete the Career Golden Masters.[9]

US Open

Struggling with the heat and humidity,[10] Djokovic survived an upset scare and beat Márton Fucsovics in four sets in the first round. He would again need four sets to overcome Tennys Sandgren in the second round. With cooler conditions, the next rounds proved to be easier: Richard Gasquet in the third round, João Sousa, and John Millman in the quarterfinal were all defeated in straight sets.

He would then face Kei Nishikori in their first match at the US Open since Nishikori's upset over Djokovic in 2014. This time Djokovic prevailed in straight sets to set up a final against Juan Martín del Potro. In the final, Djokovic took control of the match early, winning the first set and securing a break early in the second. However, a spirited comeback from del Potro prolonged the second set, with Djokovic winning in a tiebreaker after a 95 minute set. Djokovic eventually closed out the match in straight sets.[11]

The victory earned Djokovic his third US Open and 14th Grand Slam title overall, tying Pete Sampras. He also climbed back to number 3 in the ATP rankings and qualified for the ATP Finals.

Shanghai Masters

Seeded second at the Shanghai Masters, he defeated Jérémy Chardy, 16th seed Marco Cecchinato, 7th seed Kevin Anderson, 4th seed Alexander Zverev, and 13th seed Borna Ćorić in a decisive run. He did not drop a set nor have his serve broken during the tournament. This was his fourth title in Shanghai and second Masters title of the year. With this win, he overtook Roger Federer and returned to the #2 ranking for the first time since the 2017 French Open.[12]

Paris Masters

Djokovic defeated João Sousa, Damir Džumhur, Marin Čilić, and his rival Roger Federer en route to the final, where he lost in straight sets to Karen Khachanov.

However, with Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the tournament, Djokovic regained the No. 1 ranking after the tournament concluded.[13] It was exactly two years ago when he lost the No. 1 ranking in Paris, following a quarterfinals exit.

All matches

This table lists all the matches of Djokovic this year, including walkovers W/O (they are marked ND for non-decision)

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A P Z# PO G F-S SF-B NMS NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (P) postponed; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles matches

Tournament Match Round Opponent (Seed or Key) Rank Result Score
Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
Grand Slam tournament
Hard, outdoor
15 – 28 January 2018
1 / 9471R Donald Young63Win6–1, 6–4, 6–2
2 / 9482R Gaël Monfils39Win4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–3
3 / 9493R Albert Ramos Viñolas (21)22Win6–2, 6–3, 6–3
4 / 9504R Chung Hyeon58Loss6–7(4–7), 5–7, 6–7(3–7)
Indian Wells Masters
Indian Wells, United States
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
5 – 18 March 2018
1R Bye
5 / 9512R Taro Daniel109Loss6–7(3–7), 6–4, 1–6
Miami Open
Miami, United States
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
19 March – 1 April 2018
1R Bye
6 / 9522R Benoît Paire47Loss3–6, 4–6
Monte-Carlo Masters
Monte Carlo, Monaco
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
15 – 22 April 2018
7 / 9531R Dušan Lajović93Win6–1, 6–0
8 / 9542R Borna Ćorić39Win7–6(7–2), 7–5
9 / 9553R Dominic Thiem (5)7Loss7–6(7–2), 2–6, 3–6
Barcelona Open
Barcelona, Spain
ATP Tour 500
Clay, outdoor
23 – 29 April 2018
1R Bye
10 / 9562R Martin Kližan140Loss2–6, 6–1, 3–6
Madrid Open
Madrid, Spain
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
7 – 13 May 2018
11 / 9571R Kei Nishikori20Win7–5, 6–4
12 / 9582R Kyle Edmund22Loss3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Italian Open
Rome, Italy
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
14 – 20 May 2018
13 / 9591R Alexandr Dolgopolov54Win6–1, 6–3
14 / 9602R Nikoloz Basilashvili74Win6–4, 6–2
15 / 9613R Albert Ramos Viñolas41Win6–1, 7–5
16 / 962QF Kei Nishikori24Win2–6, 6–1, 6–3
17 / 963SF Rafael Nadal (1)2Loss6–7(4–7), 3–6
French Open
Paris, France
Grand Slam tournament
Clay, outdoor
28 May – 10 June 2018
18 / 9641R Rogério Dutra Silva134Win6–3, 6–4, 6–4
19 / 9652R Jaume Munar155Win7–6(7–1), 6–4, 6–4
20 / 9663R Roberto Bautista Agut (13)13Win6–4, 6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–4), 6–2
21 / 9674R Fernando Verdasco (30)35Win6–3, 6–4, 6–2
22 / 968QF Marco Cecchinato72Loss3–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–1, 6–7(11–13)
Queen's Club Championships
London, UK
ATP Tour 500
Grass, outdoor
18 – 24 June 2018
23 / 9691R John Millman63Win6–2, 6–1
24 / 9702R Grigor Dimitrov (2)5Win6–4, 6–1
25 / 971QF Adrian Mannarino26Win7–5, 6–1
26 / 972SF Jérémy Chardy61Win7–6(7–5), 6–4
27 / 973F Marin Čilić (1)6Loss7–5, 6–7(4–7), 3–6
Wimbledon Championships
London, United Kingdom
Grand Slam tournament
Grass, outdoor
2 – 15 July 2018
28 / 9741R Tennys Sandgren57Win6–3, 6–1, 6–2
29 / 9752R Horacio Zeballos126Win6–1, 6–2, 6–3
30 / 9763R Kyle Edmund (21)17Win4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4
31 / 9774R Karen Khachanov40Win6–4, 6–2, 6–2
32 / 978QF Kei Nishikori (24)28Win6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
33 / 979SF Rafael Nadal (2)1Win6–4, 3–6, 7–6(11–9), 3–6, 10–8
34 / 980W Kevin Anderson (8)8Win (1)6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
Canadian Open
Toronto, Canada
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
6 – 12 August 2018
35 / 9811R Mirza Bašić (LL)84Win6–3, 7–6(7–3)
36 / 9822R Peter Polansky (WC)121Win6–3, 6–4
37 / 9833R Stefanos Tsitsipas27Loss3–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6
Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati, USA
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
13 – 19 August 2018
38 / 9841R Steve Johnson34Win6–4, 7–6(7–4)
39 / 9852R Adrian Mannarino25Win4–6, 6–2, 6–1
40 / 9863R Grigor Dimitrov5Win2–6, 6–3, 6–4
41 / 987QF Milos Raonic29Win7–5, 4–6, 6–3
42 / 988SF Marin Čilić (7)7Win6–4, 3–6, 6–3
43 / 989W Roger Federer (2)2Win (2)6–4, 6–4
US Open
New York City, United States
Grand Slam tournament
Hard, outdoor
27 August – 9 September 2018
44 / 9901R Márton Fucsovics41Win6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0
45 / 9912R Tennys Sandgren61Win6–1, 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 6–2
46 / 9923R Richard Gasquet (26)25Win6–2, 6–3, 6–3
47 / 9934R João Sousa68Win6–3, 6–4, 6–3
48 / 994QF John Millman55Win6–3, 6–4, 6–4
49 / 995SF Kei Nishikori (21)19Win6–3, 6–4, 6–2
50 / 996W Juan Martín del Potro (3)3Win (3)6–3, 7–6(7–4), 6–3
Laver Cup
Chicago, United States
Laver Cup
Hard, indoor
21 – 23 September 2018
51 / 997Day 2 Kevin Anderson9Lost6–7(5–7), 7–5, [6–10]
Day 3 Nick Kyrgios27not playedN/A
Shanghai Masters
Shanghai, China
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
6 – 14 October 2018
1R Bye
52 / 9982R Jérémy Chardy41Win6–3, 7–5
53 / 9993R Marco Cecchinato (16)21Win6–4, 6–0
54 / 1000QF Kevin Anderson (7)8Win7–6(7–1), 6–3
55 / 1001SF Alexander Zverev (4)5Win6–2, 6–1
56 / 1002W Borna Ćorić (13)19Win (4)6–3, 6–4
Paris Masters
Paris, France
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, indoor
29 October – 4 November 2018
1R Bye
57 / 10032R João Sousa (Q)48Win7–5, 6–1
58 / 10043R Damir Džumhur52Win6–1, 2–1 ret.
59 / 1005QF Marin Čilić (5)7Win4–6, 6–2, 6–3
60 / 1006SF Roger Federer (3)3Win7–6(8–6), 5–7, 7–6(7–3)
61 / 1007F Karen Khachanov18Loss5–7, 4–6
ATP Finals
London, United Kingdom
ATP Finals
Hard, indoor
11 – 18 November 2018
62 / 1008RR John Isner (8)10Win6–4, 6–3
63 / 1009RR Alexander Zverev (3)5Win6–4, 6–1
64 / 1010RR Marin Čilić (5)7Win7–6(9–7), 6–2
65 / 1011SF Kevin Anderson (4)6Win6–2, 6–2
66 / 1012F Alexander Zverev (3)5Loss4–6, 3–6

Doubles matches

Tournament Match Round Opponents (Seed or Key) Ranks Result Score
Miami Open
Miami, United States
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
19 March – 1 April 2018
Partner: Viktor Troicki
1 / 1061R Mektić / Peya32 / 36Loss6–4, 5–7, [3–10]
Queen's Club Championships
London, UK
ATP Tour 500
Grass, outdoor
18 – 24 June 2018
Partner: Stan Wawrinka
2 / 1071R Daniell / Koolhof (LL)40 / 46Loss4–6, 6–7(2–7)
Canadian Open
Toronto, Canada
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
6 – 12 August 2018
Partner: Kevin Anderson
3 / 1081R Auger-Aliassime / Shapovalov (WC)587 / 398Win6–3, 6–2
4 / 1092R Herbert / Mahut (3)6 / 5Win4–6, 6–4, [10–7]
5 / 110QF Mektić / Peya (4)24 / 18Loss5–7, 5–7
Laver Cup
Chicago, United States
Laver Cup
Hard, indoor
21 – 23 September 2018
Partner: Roger Federer
6 / 111Day 1 Kevin Anderson / Jack Sock241 / 2Loss7–6(7–5), 3–6, [6–10]

Exhibition matches

Tournament Match Round Opponent (Seed or Key) Rank Result Score
2017 Mubadala World Tennis Championship
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Hard, outdoor
28 – 30 December 2017
QF Bye
SF Roberto Bautista Agut (5)20WithdrewN/A
SF-B Dominic Thiem (1)5WithdrewN/A
Tie Break Tens
Melbourne, Australia

Hard, indoor
10 January 2018
1QF Lleyton HewittLoss[6–10]
Radek Štěpánek's farewell match[14]
Prague, Czech Republic

Hard, indoor
18 October 2018
2 Radek ŠtěpánekLoss6–7(6–8)

Singles schedule

Date Tournament Location Category Surface Prev.
result
Prev.
points
New
points
Result
15 January 2018–
28 January 2018
Australian OpenMelbourne (AUS)Grand SlamHard2R45180Fourth round (lost to Chung Hyeon, 6–7(4–7), 5–7, 6–7(3–7))
5 March 2018–
18 March 2018
Indian Wells MastersIndian Wells (USA)Masters 1000Hard4R9010Second round (lost to Taro Daniel, 6–7(3–7), 6–4, 1–6
19 March 2018–
1 April 2018
Miami OpenMiami (USA)Masters 1000HardAN/A10Second round (lost to Benoît Paire, 3–6, 4–6)
15 April 2018–
22 April 2018
Monte-Carlo MastersMonte-Carlo (MON)Masters 1000ClayQF18090Third round (lost to Dominic Thiem, 7–6(7–2), 2–6, 3–6)
23 April 2018–
29 April 2018
Barcelona OpenBarcelona (ESP)500 SeriesClayAN/A0Second round (lost to Martin Kližan, 2–6, 6–1, 3–6)
7 May 2018–
13 May 2018
Madrid OpenMadrid (ESP)Masters 1000ClaySF36045Second round (lost to Kyle Edmund, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6)
14 May 2018–
20 May 2018
Italian OpenRome (ITA)Masters 1000ClayF600360Semifinals (lost to Rafael Nadal, 6–7(4–7), 3–6)
28 May 2018–
10 June 2018
French OpenParis (FRA)Grand SlamClayQF360360Quarterfinals (lost to Marco Cecchinato, 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–1, 6–7(11–13))
18 June 2018–
24 June 2018
Queen's ClubLondon (GBR)500 SeriesGrassAN/A300Final (lost to Marin Čilić, 7–5, 6–7(4–7), 3–6)
2 July 2018–
15 July 2018
WimbledonLondon (GBR)Grand SlamGrassQF3602000Champion (defeated Kevin Anderson, 6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–3))
6 August 2018–
12 August 2018
Canadian OpenToronto (CAN)Masters 1000HardAN/A90Third round (lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas, 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6)
13 August 2018–
19 August 2018
Cincinnati MastersCincinnati (USA)Masters 1000HardAN/A1000Champion (defeated Roger Federer, 6–4, 6–4)
27 August 2018–
9 September 2018
US OpenNew York (USA)Grand SlamHardAN/A2000Champion (defeated Juan Martín del Potro, 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 6–3)
8 October 2018–
14 October 2018
Shanghai MastersShanghai (CHN)Masters 1000HardAN/A1000Champion (defeated Borna Ćorić, 6–3, 6–4)
29 October 2018–
4 November 2018
Paris MastersParis (FRA)Masters 1000Hard (i)AN/A600Final (lost to Karen Khachanov, 5–7, 4–6)
11 November 2018–
18 November 2018
ATP FinalsLondon (GBR)ATP FinalsHard (i)AN/A1000Final (lost to Alexander Zverev, 4–6, 3–6)
Total year-end points 2585 9045 6460 difference

Yearly records

Head-to-head matchups

Novak Djokovic has a 53–13 (80.3% of wins) ATP match win-loss record in the 2018 season. His record against players who were part of the ATP Rankings Top Ten at the time of their meetings is 15–5 (75.0% of wins). Bold indicates player was ranked top 10 at the time of at least one meeting. The following list is ordered by number of wins:

* Statistics correct as of 18 November 2018.

Singles: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Category
Grand Slam (2–0)
ATP Finals (0–1)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (2–1)
ATP World Tour 500 (0–1)
ATP World Tour 250 (0–0)
Titles by surface
Hard (3–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (1–1)
Titles by setting
Outdoor (4–1)
Indoor (0–2)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Jun 2018 Queen's Club Championships, United Kingdom 500 Series Grass Marin Čilić 7–5, 6–7(4–7), 3–6
Win 1–1 Jul 2018 Wimbledon, United Kingdom (4) Grand Slam Grass Kevin Anderson 6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
Win 2–1 Aug 2018 Cincinnati Masters, United States Masters 1000 Hard Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4
Win 3–1 Sept 2018 US Open, United States (3) Grand Slam Hard Juan Martín del Potro 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 6–3
Win 4–1 Oct 2018 Shanghai Masters, China (4) Masters 1000 Hard Borna Ćorić 6–3, 6–4
Loss 4–2 Nov 2018 Paris Masters, France Masters 1000 Hard (i) Karen Khachanov 5–7, 4–6
Loss 4–3 Nov 2018 ATP Finals, United Kingdom Tour Finals Hard (i) Alexander Zverev 3–6, 3–6

Earnings

  • Bold font denotes tournament win
EventPrize moneyYear-to-date
Australian OpenA$240,000$189,888
Indian Wells Masters$25,465$215,353
Miami Open$25,465$240,818
Monte-Carlo Masters€60,945$315,950
Barcelona Open€17,240$337,128
Madrid Open€40,900$386,040
Italian Open€230,830$661,628
French Open€380,000$1,104,328
Queen's Club€209,630$1,347,583
Wimbledon£2,250,000$4,318,033
Rogers Cup$66,490$4,384,524
Cincinnati Masters$1,088,450$5,472,974
US Open$3,800,000$9,272,974
Shanghai Masters$1,360,560$10,633,534
Paris Masters€477,315$11,177,673
ATP Finals$1,432,000$12,609,673
Bonus Pool$3,325,000$15,934,672
Doubles$32,512$32,512
Total$15,967,184

Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.

  • source:

See also

References

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