Novak Djokovic becomes the first individual to conquer all Masters 1000 tournaments

Novak Djokovic is generally considered to be one of the great Tennis players of all-time. He is all but guaranteed a spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame once he's eligible. Now, he has made a historic accomplishment that will always belong to him.

The first individual player to win all Masters 1000 titles

With a victory over Roger Federer at the 2018 Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic did something no other tennis player had yet done.

ESPN reports that he is the first singles player to win all nine of the Masters 1000 tournaments. It was his 30th win at that level in his career.

The win is part of what has been shaping up to be a major comeback year for him: much the way 2017 was for two of his main rivals, Federer and Rafael Nadal. That year was one of professional turmoil for Djokovic. He was eliminated from the Australian Open in the second round in a shocking upset. Afterward, the season was dominated by changes in his support team surrounding him and injury. Eventually, Djokovic withdrew from playing for the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury.

He had surgery in early 2018. As the Guardian reports, his season was highlighted by winning his fourth Wimbledon title and winning in Cincinnati.

At some point in the near future, Djokovic might be joined by Feder, Nadal or Andy Murray. All have won at seven of the Masters 1000 events. The feat had previously been accomplished in doubles tennis. Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan did it playing together. Daniel Nestor has accumulated wins at all the tournaments with different partners.

Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most prestigious in tennis

The nine Masters 1000 tournaments make up the third tier of men's professional tennis. At the top are the Grand Slams - the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

They are followed by the ATP Finals, held at the end of the season.

Four of the Masters' events are held in North America, all on hard court surfaces. There are also four held in Europe, three of the four being played on clay. A ninth tournament is played in Shanghai on hard courts.

Women also play at six of these tournaments. The levels of prominence for tournaments are different in women's tennis, but all six are among the most prestigious. Similarly, no single woman to date has won all of them. A number of players are within striking distance of accomplishing the feat. They include Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.