The Serbian hits a return to world No 2 Murray who was due to race back to Britain to be with wife Kim, who is due to give birth to their first child, Jan 31, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

While Emerson's triumphs came in the pre-professional era of the 1960s when few players from the rest of the world made the long journey Down Under, Djokovic's dominance is international.

He won 11 titles including three of the four majors last year and already has a 12-0 record this season, having thrashed the other members of the "Big Four" -- Rafa Nadal, Federer and Murray -- to win in Doha and Melbourne.

Only Australian Laver, who was on the court named after him watching the final, has managed to win all four grand slams in one year and Djokovic would have to break his Roland Garros duck to match the feat and make more history.

He said he thought he was getting closer to winning the French Open title every time he played the claycourt grand slam but had learned not to think too far ahead.

"(I'm) very hungry (for Paris)," he concluded. "But the wolf needs to eat a lot of different meals to get to Paris. Paris is a dessert."