Novak Djokovic was made to work in order to clinch a record 411th Masters 1000 victory after downing Camilo Ugo Carabelli in Miami.
Novak Djokovic said he was honoured to have added another record to his collection following his victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the Miami Open.
Djokovic, a six-time winner at the tournament, reached the last 16 with a 6-1 7-6 (7-1) victory over lucky loser Ugo Carabelli to create more history on the court.
Indeed, the Serbian recorded his 411th ATP Masters 1000 match win, surpassing Rafael Nadal (410) for the most outright of any player since the format's introduction in 1990.
Djokovic had moved level with the Spaniard following his first-round win over Rinky Hijikata, and appeared to be cruising into the next round after a dominant opening set.
However, Ugo Carabelli showed more resistance in the second set, matching Djokovic throughout and forcing a tie-break to see if the encounter would go the distance.
But the 24-time grand slam champion showcased his class, comfortably navigating his opponents' surge to set up a meeting with Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the final eight.
"I'm honoured to have another milestone, another record broken," said Djokovic.
"There’s always something on the line pretty much every time I play, and of course that motivates me to do well at tournaments."
Djokovic added that chasing the number one ranking, currently held by Jannik Sinner, was not his main priority and that major tournament wins would give him more satisfaction.
"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."
Data Debrief: Djokovic hunting return to winners circle
Djokovic's 411th victory comes almost 20 years after his first at a Masters 1000 event. He clinched his maiden win at that level in Paris in 2005, when he beat Victor Hanescu.
Djokovic has since claimed a record 40 Masters 1000 titles, with his first coming in Miami in 2007. In 2018, he became the first and only player to win all nine events in the format, before winning each tournament at least twice by 2020.
The former world number one now boasts a record of 411-91 at such events, with his 81.9% win percentage just shy of Nadal's 82% (410-90) for the best in history. No other players has won more than 80% of their Masters 1000 matches.
This fortnight in Miami, Djokovic is chasing a record seventh Miami title and his first Masters 1000 trophy since 2023 when he emerged victorious in Paris.