Djokovic earned his 23rd men’s-record Grand Slam singles championship, breaking the tie with Nadal and moving past Federer in a victory over Ruud, winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-6, with Federer retiring in front.
Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, has won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, three at the US Open, and seven at Wimbledon. This makes him the only man to have earned titles from at least three major events, alongside one from the French Open in 2021 and 2016.
Djokovic is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam
Daniil Medvedev came close to pulling off the feat that no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969 — winning all four Grand Slam titles in a calendar year — when he lost in the final of the U.S. Open. It is worth noting that Djokovic is halfway again to a calendar-year Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2021.
Djokovic will continue that quest at Wimbledon, which commences on the turf of the All England Club on July 3rd.
The regulation that was previously in place, Djokovic was prohibited from traveling to the United States prior to last year’s U.S. Open, and he was expelled from Australia in January 2021 before the Australian Open. Taking into account the fact that he did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine, an impressive streak made even more remarkable by his absence from two major tournaments during that period, he has now secured the championship at 11 out of the last 20 Grand Slam events.
The Open era, which commenced in 1968, witnessed Margaret Court’s triumph in several of her 24 Slam trophies during the amateur era. This era allows Djokovic to match Serena Williams, who concluded her career last year, setting the record not only for men at 23, but also for the highest number achieved by any player.
Elsewhere on the ground, the red clay court at Roland Garros is considered the most grueling of the majors due to the lengthy and grinding nature of the matches, which require players to earn points through hard or grass courts that are slower. Djokovic, celebrating his 36th birthday in the past 20 days, is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros.
Nadal’s 22nd major was achieved in Paris a year ago, just two days after he celebrated his 36th birthday. Following a hip injury, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on June 2 and has remained out of action since January.
Fifty years ago, when computerized tennis rankings were first introduced, Djokovic has already surpassed any other player, regardless of gender, in terms of weeks spent at the top position. Additionally, Djokovic’s victory on Sunday ensures that he will reclaim the number one spot in the ATP rankings on Monday, displacing Carlos Alcaraz. As if these achievements were not sufficient.
The narrative conveyed the results: 6-1, 6-1. However, Alcaraz persevered, experiencing severe cramping in his body – the young Spaniard’s. Eventually, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, gradually wearing him out during two captivating sets.
Ruud, a 24-year-old hailing from Norway, has faced a string of defeats lately, with this being his third consecutive loss. This marks his third appearance in a Slam final within the last five tournaments. He suffered a defeat against Nadal in the French Open last year and was bested by Alcaraz in the U.S. Open in September.
Djokovic, who was the one to start off shaky, perhaps had all of his awareness at stake, due to the final major being his 34th.
To celebrate his best moments, sometimes he encourages himself, and occasionally, in the afternoon course, he started playing again before the chorus of his two-syllable nickname “No-le! No-le! No-le!” Followed by thunderous chants. As Djokovic entered, the crowd rose to their feet, met with a roar, and the people applauded politely while Ruud emerged to a partial ovation.
Djokovic brought thunderous cheers as he concluded the game, collapsing on his back with arms outstretched in victory, dominating 12 out of the final 13 points.
It was not, of course, the booing that sounded if it were — “Ruuuuuuuuuud” — the monotonous, prolonged pronouncements of his last name, Ruud, were his preferred method of saluting.
In the first set, Djokovic made a variety of mistakes, including shanking a stroke that went long, wide, and into the net. Ruud seemed determined to test Djokovic’s weaker side, the forehand, and took advantage of it.
For whatever cause, that shot has always been Djokovic’s “archenemy,” and he failed to execute another overhead later in the set.
Soon, Ruud led 4-1, thanks in part to Djokovic’s troubles. By then, Djokovic accumulated 13 unforced errors, while Ruud made just four.
And then everything was different.
After completing the initial set with 18 unforced mistakes, Djokovic adjusted himself, with only 14 throughout the final two sets combined.
It was Ruud’s turn to flub and rock back into the net, depositing the overhead. Djokovic made the first service break, shaking his right fist.
It seems forever. He simply excels, along with the tension, when the import rises. Truly Djokovic’s dominion, they went to a tiebreaker.
In the first-to-7 phase, Djokovic provided four successful shots and no mistakes that he made himself.
Novak Djokovic has had a remarkable career, winning 65.5% of his tiebreakers with a record of 308-162. Not only did he have zero unforced errors, but he also played exceptionally well across the 55 points, including a dominant 6-0 victory in Paris. As of 2023, his tally stands at an impressive 15-4.
Read that once more: zero.
Djokovic, with his red clay-stained skin and blue shorts, tumbled behind the baseline. He won one with the help of Ruud, a shot between the legs and back to the net. Those were the strokes that lasted 29, 25, and 20. The exchanges were full of extended points, about which entire stories could be written. The set alone lasted 1 hour and 21 minutes.
Djokovic’s defense on the scoreboard shows up as a formidable adversary, using energy and determination to sap his opponent’s points with long rallies that involve twisting, bending, stretching, and scrambling.
Djokovic never hurt anyone or took extra rest during changeovers, but he did complain to the umpire chair about how much time was being allotted for changeovers. Dumusois, the umpire, knows that Djokovic is aware of all the ins and outs, and perhaps that helps him. The third set warned Dumusois and exclaimed “Serve it!” From one voice in the seats, so much so that Djokovic occasionally expired the 25-second clock before serving.
Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, even brought his wife, children, and agent Ivanisevic to the game. From the nearby box where his coach Goran was included as a guest, Tom wheeled over to face Djokovic. With full display of his powers, he repeatedly jabbed Djokovic with his right index finger. In the second set, Tom broke Ruud’s serve to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
The nickname “GOAT,” which stands for the “Greatest of All Time,” has been debated among Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic for quite some time in the world of tennis. Similarly, Tom Brady, who recently retired, is widely regarded as the “All-Time Greatest” in the NFL.
If the benchmark is Grand Slam tournaments, nobody can dispute Djokovic’s current standing.