Since emerging at the top level of professional tennis 18 years ago, Novak Djokovic has used the dizzying bar set by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as motivation to push himself to his limits, never doubting that he Will rise above it one day. Djokovic records 23rd Grand Slam title with French Open.
What once seemed impossible eventually becomes inevitable. On Sunday, Djokovic finally put past his great rivals in the most important category as he beat Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 to claim his 23rd Grand Slam title, level with Nadal on 22. broke his tie. ,
What once seemed impossible eventually becomes inevitable. On Sunday, Djokovic finally put past his great rivals in the most important category as he beat Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 to claim his 23rd Grand Slam title, level with Nadal on 22. broke his tie. ,
This historic win means Djokovic is the sole men’s Grand Slam record holder, along with countless other records. Years after being blocked by the greatest claycourter of all time, Nadal, at the French Open, Djokovic now also has three titles in Paris and is the first man to win each Grand Slam tournament three times. He will also return to No. 1 for a record-extending 388th week as the world’s best player.
“At least once in their career, every player dreams of taking the stage and lifting the trophy. In his on-court address, Djokovic stated, “I’m beyond fortunate in my life to have won 23 times; it’s a fantastic feeling.
These accomplishments at his age have just increased to his greatness, as he still covers the court with greater flexibility and ease than most players at their physical peak. At 36 years and 20 days old, Djokovic is officially the oldest singles victor at Roland Garros in record-keeping. In addition, he has a 21-match grand slam winning streak after winning the last three grand slam events he has played in. He missed the US Open in 2017 because the country forbade unvaccinated guests from entering.
Few people gave fourth-seeded Ruud much of a chance to defeat third-seeded Novak Djokovic, but after competing in the French and US Open finals against Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz the previous season, Ruud knew what it would take to compete with Djokovic in a grand slam final.
While Djokovic had a shaky start to the match, Ruud vaporised his forehand as he claimed an early break. He blasted forehands and missed overheads while playing lazily. But one advantage of being Djokovic is that he is seldom without options. Before regaining the early break, he dug in and relied on his legs as he took a succession of stinging forehands from Ruud.
The Norwegian continued to keep his head high. While Djokovic was serving and he had a 5-4 lead in the game, the turning point occurred. Ruud had some inspiring play to start the game, including a brilliant tweener lob to take the lead at 0-30. However, Ruud made a forehand mistake on a simple second serve return at 5-4, 30-30. Ruud was tense, and Djokovic sensed it and attacked. He maintained serve, compelled a tiebreak, and then shredded Ruud’s less reliable backhand to win the set. He simply rises, said Ruud. He either plays laughable defence or gorgeous wins. just makes no mistakes. He either plays a magnificent winner or lets you go for too much.
By the second set, the Serb’s nerves had evaporated. He dictated from inside the baseline, pulverising his forehand, and he continued to methodically break down Ruud’s backhand as he neutralised his serve. Djokovic controlled the contest until the end, patiently waiting for his moment to clinch the decisive break late in the third set before closing out one of the greatest successes of his career. After the final point, he collapsed to the ground before climbing up to his player box.
In recent years, Djokovic has repeatedly explained that his priorities have changed after so many years of success at all levels. Grand slam tournaments are what motivate him now. The past two weeks have been a comprehensive reflection of that approach. He spent much of the clay court season in poor shape, struggling with form and an elbow injury that forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Open. But with a historic grand slam title on the line he has met every challenge.
“He has this software in his head that he can switch when a grand slam comes,” said Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach. “Grand slam is a different sport comparing to other tournaments. He switch his software. The day we arrived here, he was better, he was more motivated, he was more hungry.”
During his speech, Djokovic noted that since he was a young child his goals were always to win Wimbledon and be No 1 in the world. He has surpassed those goals more than 10 times over. While the No 1 ranking and grand slam titles used to be the ultimate goal for all aspiring players, this fading, unforgettable era of greatness with Djokovic, Serena Williams, Nadal and Federer has completely changed how people view success in the sport.
When young players state their goals these days, they often want to be the best of all time. That bar, 23 grand slam titles, is now in the stratosphere.
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