The Fashion Five: Novak Djokovic's masterclass on how to celebrate major milestones

No. 2: Novak Djokovic's masterclass on how to make a "major" fashion statement

In one of the most dominant seasons of his career, Novak Djokovic spent much of 2023 cementing his name atop the list in the GOAT discussion. He won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open—taking him to an Open Era record 24 Grand Slam titles—plus after clinching the ATP Finals, he once again finished the season as world No. 1.

And after each major milestone, sponsor Lacoste was right there alongside the Serbian to drop some of the most-talked-about tennis merch of the year: Djokovic’s commemorative post-match jackets.

From his suspiciously all-white US Open jacket to his team’s own customized “10” shirts printed overnight in Melbourne, here are some of the best looks Djokovic served up in 2023.

Djokovic kicked off the season with a victory at the Australian Open after defeating Stefanos Tsistsipas 6-3 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) in the final—it was his 10th title in Melbourne and his 22nd Grand Slam title overall, equalling Rafael Nadal’s Open Era men’s singles record.

After sitting in the chair to soak in the victory, Djokovic soon slipped on a bright blue Hublot watch and a limited-edition Lacoste jacket emblazoned with “22” shaped out of the brand's famous tiny crocodile logos.

“Novak is already wearing a jacket with 22 on it!” Daria Saville wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, while Nick Kyrgios also tweeted, “The jacket with 22 on it is elite energy, haha I love it…. NEED MORE”.

While players and fans raved on social media, Djokovic later admitted that Lacoste’s gesture took him by surprise, too.

"To be honest, maybe people won't believe me but I had no clue about this jacket," he told Eurosport. "I actually took the other jacket to the ceremony and then my team told me to put this one on. Nice of them!"

Meanwhile, Djokovic’s family took fans by surprise too, as they changed into their own customized gear: Members of his team donned shirts with “10” printed in Serbian flag colors made by Melbourne-based T-shirt company Death By Zero. The shop received the order at 11 p.m. the night before the final, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, and were thrilled when the camera cut to the Djokovic camp during the celebrations.

“Seeing them pull the T-shirts out and just so proudly put them on, I was just like, ‘Wow, what an amazing moment,’” said owner Alexandra Munro.

As records continued to fall at Djokovic’s racquet, it’s no surprise there was soon a “23” jacket in the works for Lacoste. The 36-year-old dropped just two sets in Paris—defeating then-world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals—and bested Casper Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final to reach a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title.

For the occasion, Lacoste, who are also Roland Garros’ longtime apparel sponsor, outfitted Djokovic in terre battue-inspired red and another custom “23”. The special jacket featured a grid-like pattern reminiscent of a tennis net, while the adorable crocs made their return in red, blue and white with a pop of yellow—the colors of the Serbian flag.

But things didn’t quite go to plan at Wimbledon, with Djokovic falling to 20-year-old Alcaraz in the final 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 as the Spaniard clinched his second Grand Slam title. And, if social media chatter is to be believed, Lacoste may have been taken by surprise, too.

That's because, fast-forward a few months, and Djokovic was back in another Grand Slam final at the US Open. But this time he was victorious, clinching his third major of the year by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3. During the trophy presentation, eagle-eyed fans homed in on a particularly interesting detail: Djokovic’s crisp white jacket with a green “24” patch on the chest seemed better suited for all-white Wimbledon than the US Open.

“So, no one’s gonna talk about the fact that Novak Djokovic recycled his 24-Slam custom jacket from Wimbledon?" one fan wrote on X, while another mused, “Who wants to bet that Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam jacket is white because it was meant for Wimbledon… Wasn't used so they kept it for now."

Djokovic himself also used the occasion to pay tribute to late mentor, friend and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, changing into a shirt with "Mamba Forever" on the front. The jersey was a nod to Bryant’s jersey number, and also featured a photo of the pair along with the word "Blessings". 

“I thought of doing this T-shirt eventually, if I get the chance to win the tournament, about seven days ago,” he said during the trophy ceremony. “I didn’t share it with anyone until a few days ago when I asked my people to help me out to make this shirt.

“Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality… What happened a few years ago with him and his daughter passing hurt me deeply,” he added. “I thought, 24 is the jersey that he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and of world basketball.

“I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all the things he’s done.”