Novak Djokovic equals Serena Williams' match win tally on Rod Laver Arena at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic has had a fine start to the 2024 season, recently equaling Serena Williams' record of match wins on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open.

He defeated Australian tennis sensation Alexei Popyrin in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday with scores 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. The win over Popyrin marked Djokovic's 91st victory at the Australian Open and his 77th win at the Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic has now equaled Serena Williams' record of 77 wins, placing them second on the list behind Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer, who boasts 93 wins. Serena Williams clinched 7 titles at the Australian Open, while Roger Federer secured 6 titles, and Novak Djokovic holds a record 10 titles.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion took to Instagram to celebrate his achievement by sharing a graphic of himself and Serena Williams on his Instagram story with "77 match wins at Rod Laver Arena" written on it.

77 match wins at Rod Laver Arena (Instagram)

Serena Williams and Roger Federer both retired from the sport in 2022. The World No.1 is now one of the three active players on the list of the top 10 players with the most wins at Rod Laver Arena.

The other two active players are Rafael Nadal, with 70 wins (missing the 2024 edition due to injury sustained at the Brisbane International), and Venus Williams, who currently has 34 wins.

Novak Djokovic is set to face Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the third round of the Australian Open

Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2023 - Day Five (Getty images)

Djokovic is set to face 24-year-old Argentine Tomas Martín Etcheverry in the third round of the tournament on Saturday (January 20).

The 2024 edition marks the 19th time the Serb is competing at the Australian Open, as he aims for his 11th title. He kicked off his Australian Open campaign by defeating 18-year-old Dino Prižmić in the first round and Australia's Alexei Popyrin in the second round.

On the other hand, Etcheverry started by defeating 5-time finalist Andy Murray in the first round and progressed to the second round, defeating French star Gael Monfils.

Djokovic and Etcheverry have faced each other twice on the ATP, with the Serb emerging victorious on both occasions. The first encounter took place at the 2023 Rome Masters, followed by the second meeting at the 2023 Paris Masters.

The 36-year-old concluded the 2023 season in spectacular form, securing victories in three out of the four Grand Slams and claiming four additional trophies. He also finished the year as No.1 on the ATP rankings, marking a record 8th time he held the year-end No.1 position.

In contrast, Etcheverry reached a career-high ranking of No. 30 last season. His notable achievements include reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, marking his best performance at a major tournament.