Facts & Stats

Novak Djokovic has lost to 14 players on grass—can you name them all?

The 23-time major champion, who opens Centre Court Monday at Wimbledon, hasn't been defeated on the surface in more than five years.

ByMatt Fitzgerald

Published Jul 03, 2023

HIGHLIGHTS: N. Djokovic def. N. Kyrgios; Wimbledon F

Advertising

It’s one tall order for a player to defeat Novak Djokovic. Pulling it off on a grass court might just be the biggest ask for any of his current peers.

As the 23-time major champion gets set to open Centre Court play at Wimbledon on Monday against Pedro Cachin, Djokovic brings a 28-match win streak at the tournament to the table. He hasn’t lost on grass since being edged out in the 2018 London Queen’s final and over his career, has come out on the winning end 85.8% of the time with a lawn under his feet.

Fourteen players own a grass-court win over Djokovic—four have doubled up with a pair of victories. Can you name them all?

A run down, in reverse chronological order:

Marin Cilic

It was Cilic who won the aforementioned Queen’s Club title five years ago, 12 months after finishing runner-up at Wimbledon. It was a very rare instance where Djokovic was the one who saw a match point—or in this case a championship point—slip through his fingertips, as the Croatian celebrated his second triumph at the ATP 500 tournament.

Advertising

Tomas Berdych

The Czech officially scored his second win when Djokovic retired a set and a break down in their 2017 Wimbledon quarterfinal with a right elbow injury (an issue he would soon address). Seven years earlier at the All England Club, Berdych knocked out Djokovic to break through for his first major final.

Advertising

Sam Querrey

The 41st-ranked American broke open the top quarter of the draw when he took out the Belgrade native in the third round of 2016 Wimbledon. Djokovic was admittedly spent emotionally after completing a Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros a few weeks earlier. Wimbledon proved to be Querrey’s best career major with a 24-14 record (2017 semifinalist).

Advertising

Andy Murray

Appearing in the final of his home major for the second year running, Murray ended his nation’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles champion by closing out Djokovic in a stressful final game. It marked the Brit’s second straight win over his contemporary on Centre Court, having claimed their 2012 London Olympics semifinal en route to tasting gold.

Advertising

Juan Martin del Potro

With Murray winning their London 2012 semifinal, it sent Djokovic to the bronze-medal match for the second straight Games. Del Potro, coming off a brutal 24-22 final-set loss to Roger Federer, reset to take the contest in straights. It was the first time the Argentine sealed a completed match over Djokovic.

Advertising

Roger Federer

Federer was on the receiving end of three Wimbledon final defeats served up by Djokovic in 2014, ’15 and ’19. Before those matchups, the Swiss ended Djokovic’s title defense bid in the 2012 semifinals with a four-set victory. Two days later, Federer picked up his first major trophy in 2.5 years whilst breaking British hearts along the way.

Advertising

Xavier Malisse

The Belgian prevailed over three sets in the third round of 2010 London Queen’s. Malisse was an intriguing floater with a Wimbledon semifinal appearance on his resume and no prior matchups with Djokovic, but his No. 74 ranking gave it all the makings of a surprising upset.

Advertising

Tommy Haas

The former world No. 2 has a deeper distinction on this list—he’s the only one to beat Djokovic twice on grass in the same season. Haas backed up his 2009 Halle final win when he upstaged the No. 4 seed in the Wimbledon last eight to reach his first major semifinal away from the Australian Open.

Advertising

Marat Safin

For all the two-time major winner accomplished in his career, a second-round win against Djokovic at 2008 Wimbledon was a bit of a shock. Ranked No. 74, Safin had a single second-week showing in eight prior appearances at the AELTC and was 10-13 on the year coming into SW19. He capitalized on the big win by adding three more to make the semis.

Advertising

Rafael Nadal

With both competitors seeking to add a maiden grass-court crown to his collection, Nadal emerged victorious in the 2008 Queen’s Club final—a sign of greater things to come in London for the Spaniard. The prior season, Nadal was up 3-6, 6-1, 4-1 in their Wimbledon semifinal when an infected toe blister and back issue forced Djokovic to cut that clash short.

Advertising

Arnaud Clement

In 2004, a 17-year-old Djokovic secured his first tour-level match win in Bucharest after ousting the former Australian Open finalist. Clement wouldn’t get a shot at revenge until 2007 at London Queen’s when Djokovic was ranked No. 4. The Frenchman shook off a slow start to prevail in three for his first—and only—Top 10 grass-court win of his career.

Advertising

Mario Ancic

Ancic had been sent packing by the Serbian at the 2005 US Open. When the two met in the round of 16 at Wimbledon the following season, the Croatian had a tournament resume that included winning his 2002 debut over Federer and breakout semifinal run in 2004. Ancic, coming off a title defense in 's-Hertogenbosch, advanced past Djokovic after five grueling sets.

Advertising

Jan Hernych

The man Ancic beat to capture the 2006 ‘'s-Hertogenbosch trophy was Hernych. The Czech entered the grass event ranked No. 128, but caught fire at the right time. His win over Djokovic in the second round was part of a four-match stretch of straight-set victories that led Hernych to contesting his first ATP final.

Advertising

Sebastian Grosjean

Grosjean’s pedigree on grass began with a fourth-round run at Wimbledon in 1998 and maiden ATP triumph in 2000 at Nottingham. Coming off successive semifinals at the All England Club, the No. 9 seed halted Djokovic’s debut in the third round with a four-set victory on his way to making it three consecutive quarterfinal showings.

Advertising