On Monday, Novak Djokovic commenced his 411th week as the top-ranked player in the ATP world rankings. The Serbian tennis icon, known for his remarkable record-breaking feats, now has his sights set on a new historic milestone currently held by Roger Federer.

Djokovic aims to become the oldest player in tennis history to hold the ATP No.1 spot in singles, surpassing Federer’s achievement when he reclaimed the top spot in 2018 at the age of 36 years and 10 months.

To achieve this feat, Djokovic must maintain his position at the top until at least April 1st, though he will have multiple opportunities to do so even if he falls short by that deadline. With no points to defend at the upcoming ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, Djokovic sees these tournaments as prime opportunities to accumulate maximum points and inch closer to this prestigious milestone.

These are the two tournaments he is anticipated to participate in before April 1st. In 2023, Djokovic was absent from both events due to entry regulations in the United States, which prohibited entry for foreign nationals without a COVID-19 vaccination.

The Serbian maestro later returned to the USA during the summer, triumphing first at the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and then securing his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is enjoying some downtime with his family before returning to the tennis court. Indeed, he recently took a brief vacation in Italy, in Trentino Alto Adige (the home region of his emerging rival Jannik Sinner), accompanied by his family, before resuming his training for upcoming tournaments.

The Serbian champion will not be participating in the ATP 500 event in Dubai, as he did last year, but he will be competing in the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells for the first time in four years. Djokovic’s last appearance at the BNP Paribas Open was in 2019, where he exited the tournament after a surprising third-round defeat to Philipp Kohlschreiber.