Djokovic wins 101st title after marathon final with Musetti in Athens

Novak Djokovic became the oldest champion on the ATP Tour as the 38-year-old fought back to beat Lorenzo Musetti 4-6 6-3 7-5 to win the Hellenic Championship on Saturday (November 8, 2025), winning his 101st ATP Tour title.

In a marathon match that lasted about three minutes between the top seeds, Djokovic dropped a set against Musetti for the first time on a hard court as the Italian fought to win the match and seal his place at the ATP Finals in Turin.

However, Djokovic recovered to win the second set, showing no signs of his advancing years as he stretched out at the net to play a cross-court drop shot hitting the splits at full blast, causing the crowd to roar its approval.

The drama reached a fever pitch in the decider when an exhausted Djokovic was broken at 5-4 while serving for the title.

However, he rallied again to break Musetti before finding his last reserves of energy to serve out the match and eclipse Roger Federer to claim a record 72nd hard court title.

Djokovic was initially too exhausted to celebrate, but after hugging 23-year-old Musetti, the Serbian tore his own T-shirt as he roared with joy.

‘A BAD MATCH’

“Incredible battle. It’s just, I don’t know, three hours… a physically grueling match, super demanding. Lorenzo played very well,” Djokovic said as he caught his breath.

“It could have been anyone’s game, anyone’s match. So congratulations to him for his great performance and I’m just really proud of myself for getting through this one.”

Djokovic is now two titles behind Federer on the ATP Tour’s all-time list, while Jimmy Connors leads the way with 109.

The result left Musetti in the last spot of the ATP Finals, allowing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to qualify for the tournament in Turin.

“Novak, every time I share the court with you, I consider it a lesson,” said the humble Italian.

Djokovic now turns his attention to the ATP Finals, where he will play his first match on Monday (November 10). The Serbian is in the same group as Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.