Since his emergence, Novak Djokovic has used the dizzying bar set by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as inspiration, never doubting that he would one day rise above it. What once seemed unlikely eventually became inevitable. On another Sunday final in Paris, his seventh, Djokovic finally surpassed his great rivals in the most significant category of all as he defeated Casper Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 to clinch his 23rd grand slam title.
This historic victory means that Djokovic is now the men’s sole grand slam record holder alongside countless other records. After years of being blocked by the greatest claycourter of all time at the French Open, Nadal, Djokovic also now has three titles in Paris. No other man has ever won each grand slam tournament twice, but Djokovic is now the first to do so three times. He will also return to No 1 for a record-extending 388th week as the best player in the world.
While Djokovic still covers the court with more flexibility and ease than most athletes in their physical peak, these achievements at his age have only added another layer to his greatness. Djokovic is now the oldest Roland Garros singles champion in history at 36 years and 20 days. Djokovic has also won the last three grand slam tournaments he has contested – he did not travel to the US Open last year due to the United States banning unvaccinated visitors – compiling a 21 match grand slam winning streak.
Few people gave Ruud, the fourth seed, much of a realistic chance against the third seed Djokovic, but one helpful factor in his favour was the experience of contesting the French and US Open finals last season against Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, with the Norwegian offering himself chances in the latter.
Ruud knew what level it would take for him to match Djokovic in a grand slam final. He started the match utterly vaporising his forehand, which sounded like a cannon in the acoustics of Court Philippe Chatrier. Ruud also mixed in smart drop shots and he confidently closed down the net, underlining the potential he still has to uncover in his game.
As impressive as Ruud initially was, Djokovic started the match poorly. He was passive, yet he still constantly sprayed forehands. The ‘Djokosmash’ – the one notorious weakness in his otherwise complete game – made far too many appearances as he missed numerous overheads. Ruud quickly took an early 3-0 lead.
The benefit of being Novak Djokovic, though, is that he always has options. Djokovic dug in and he relied on his legs as he soaked up a series of stinging Ruud forehands before drawing out an overhead error from Ruud to retrieve the break.
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Still, Ruud kept his head up. The decisive moment of the match came while he led 5-4 with Djokovic serving. Ruud opened the game with some inspirational play, including a successful tweener lob to lead 0-30. But at 5-4, 30-30, Ruud gifted a forehand error on an easy second serve return. Sensing Ruud’s nerves, Djokovic pounced. He held serve, he forced a tiebreak and then he picked Ruud’s weak backhand apart to take the set.
By the second set, the Serb’s nerves had evaporated as the weight of the task ahead of Ruud became clear. Djokovic dictated from inside the baseline, pulverising his forehand, and he continued to methodically break down Ruud’s backhand as he neutralised the Norwegian’s 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.
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 injuries, but with a historic grand slam title on the line he has met every challenge.
After most of Djokovic’s grand slam wins, an old interview from his youth goes viral. Asked about his goals in the sport, a six year-old Djokovic unflinchingly stated that his goal is to be the No 1 in the world. While ranking and grand slam titles used to be the ultimate goal, that fading, special era 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. The bar is now in the stratosphere.
