By Nick Georgandis
Novak Djokovic lost his No. 1 ranking -- and then regained his No. 1 ranking -- in 2012, added another Grand Slam championship to his resume, and became a legitimate threat to win not just every Grand Slam, but every tournament he entered.
Although the ATP tour has largely become the domain of a big three -- Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer, there are several other players who can make their marks a bit more indelible in the record books this coming season.
Here's a look at what career accomplishments can be set by Djokovic and a few of his tour compatriots this year.
Grand Slams Won: Djokovic has five. With one more, he'll tie Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker for 10th most in Open Era history. With two more, he'll tie John McEnroe and Mats Wilander for eighth all-time.
Grand Slam Play: Djokovic has reached at least the semifinals of 10 straight Grand Slams. If he does it again at the Australian Open, it will be the second-longest streak ever. If he reaches the quarterfinals, it will be his 15th straight final eight appearance at a Grand Slam, also the second-logest streak in Open Era history.
Australian Open tTtles - Djokovic has won the Australian Open three times. One more will tie him with Federer and Andre Agassi for the most in history.
Hardcourt titles - Djokovic has already racked up 26 titles on the hard stuff. Five more would tie him with Ivan Lendl for the fifth-most ever.
OTHER PLAYERS
Lleyton Hewitt: If he appears in all four Grand Slam tournaments, he will tie Jonas Bjorkman for third place in all-time appearances at 58, a feat Federer can also achieve.
Andy Murray: If he reached the quarterfinal of all four Slams, it will be 12 straight, fourth all-time.
Four players can move up through or into the top 10 in all-time Grand Slam appearances by appearing in all four this year: Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, and Tomas Berdych.