Six-time Miami Open champion and No. 4 seed Novak Djokovic moved into the fourth round of the tournament with a record-setting win Sunday.
Djokovic’s 6-1, 7-6 (1) triumph over lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli was his 411th ATP Masters 1000-level match win, breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal for most on the all-time list.
After the match, Djokovic — a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more than 400 weeks at No. 1 in the world and currently sits fifth — said chasing the top ranking is not his main objective anymore, and that he would happily take major tournament victories instead.
“If it comes as a consequence of great results and titles that I win in a season, then that’s amazing. But that’s not my objective,” Djokovic told reporters. “My objective is to be able to play my best tennis at the Grand Slams and the tournaments where I participate. My schedule is revised, so obviously I’m not chasing ranking points.
“It’s different nowadays, maybe, than it was a few years back [or] for most of my career, to be honest. I’m happy to win a Grand Slam and a big tournament rather than getting to No. 1. Right now, that’s more important for me.”
Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) are the only men with more singles titles than Djokovic. But he acknowledged climbing to the top of the list could be difficult.
“It would definitely be amazing to get to that record,” Djokovic said. “Connors is someone that I truly admire and respect. He’s always very supportive of me in public, I’m thankful for that. It would be amazing.
“But again, it’s probably more difficult to achieve that nowadays for me than maybe it was some years ago. I’ll go step by step. I’ll see. I don’t know how long I’m going to compete for. But I’m still enjoying myself when I play well.”
Djokovic, who is also seeking a record seventh Miami Open title, takes on Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16. The Italian 15th seed beat Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In other men’s action Sunday, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, who lost in last year’s final, was a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5 winner over Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
Dimitrov, the No. 14 seed, next faces American Brandon Nakashima, who beat David Goffin 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 after the Belgian’s upset of No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round.
American Sebastian Korda upset Greek ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (4), 6-3 to set up a fourth-round clash with Gael Monfils, who beat Jaume Munar 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (1).
Also advancing was No. 5 seed Casper Ruud, a 6-4, 7-6 (4) winner over Alejandro Tabilo. A former Miami Open finalist, Ruud will take on Francisco Cerundolo, who beat American 12th seed Tommy Paul 6-2, 7-6 (4).
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