For many years, Novak Djokovic was in the shadows of his two great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard and the Swiss star had hit their primes earlier than Djokovic, and had already secured the top spots in the rankings before he had broken through.
However, that soon began to change as the Serb started adding to his title tally and earning victories over both Federer and Nadal.
At the Miami Open in 2007, Djokovic clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 title, winning the tournament without dropping a set and beating Nadal en route.
It was at that point that the eventual 24-time Grand Slam champion thought he was on the same level as the other two members of the ‘big three’.
Novak Djokovic’s reaction to winning the 2007 Miami Open
In his post-match press conference after beating Guillermo Canas in the final, Djokovic was asked where he thinks he stands compared to Federer and Nadal.
He responded: “Well, I was always trying to compare myself to the best players in the world, because that’s what I want to be one day.
“Right now, I feel like probably for the first time in my career that I am on that level, that I deserve to be one of the three best players in the world right now.
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“I think I proved with the win over Nadal this tournament, you know. Of course, I still didn’t win against Roger, but I hope that moment will come as well.
“So we’re going to see. I’m really happy with my achievement right now, but I hope this is only the start.”
Djokovic got his first win over Federer later on that season when he beat him in the final of the Canadian Open.
Novak Djokovic became the youngest Miami Open winner ever
Not only did he claim his first Masters title, but Djokovic became the youngest player ever to win the Miami Open in 2007, aged 19.
When he heard the feat he had achieved, he said: “It feels great. Every time you win something, or you are the youngest player or you make any record, I mean, it certainly feels great. It means that your name is in the history of the sport. I am very proud of that.
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“I know that I worked hard throughout all my career to reach this point, and I hope that this is just the beginning of a long career, I hope.
“You know, there are always these injuries which are a big factor, and a big problem in the sport in general, especially in tennis, where you need to take care of your whole body. I hope I’ll stay healthy and have a long career.”
Carlos Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s record at the 2022 Miami Open, winning the tournament at the age of 18.
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