Novak Djokovic plays versus Sebastian Ofner through working day five of the Planet Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena on Dec. 23, 2022 in Dubai.
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Novak Djokovic made crystal clear for many years that this was his purpose. What drove him. What encouraged him. The major titles from his sport’s greatest stages were being Djokovic’s key purpose and now he at last stands by yourself — in advance of Rafael Nadal, ahead of Roger Federer, ahead of each and every person who at any time has swung a racket.
If Djokovic could wait this very long to hold this history, he absolutely could hold out for the fifty percent-hour or so it took to straighten out his strokes in the French Open up last. And so, soon after a little bit of a shaky start out in thick, humid air and underneath foreboding charcoal clouds Sunday, he imposed himself. The opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, Casper Ruud, hardly ever genuinely stood a critical possibility following that.
Djokovic acquired his men’s-history 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Nadal and shifting 3 in entrance of the retired Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory around Ruud that truly was not in doubt for most of its 3 several hours, 13 minutes.
Djokovic, a 36-yr-aged from Serbia, puts this just one together with the French Open titles he gained in 2016 and 2021, generating him the only gentleman with at minimum a few from each individual main event. He has gained 10 trophies at the Australian Open, 7 at Wimbledon and a few at the U.S. Open up.
Also worth noting: Djokovic is yet again midway to a calendar-yr Grand Slam — winning all 4 majors in a single year — a thing no man has achieved due to the fact Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic arrived near to pulling off that feat in 2021, when he gained the Australian Open, French Open up and Wimbledon and built it all the way to the title match at the U.S. Open just before getting rid of to Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic will resume that pursuit at Wimbledon, which commences on the grass of the All England Club on July 3.
He has now clutched the trophy at 11 of the last 20 Slams, a amazing run created even much more so when taking into consideration that he did not participate in two majors for the duration of that span simply because he did not get vaccinated versus COVID-19. Djokovic was deported from Australia in January 2021 ahead of the Australian Open up, and he was not authorized to fly to the United States ahead of last year’s U.S. Open up under a rule that has given that been lifted.
Getting to 23 not only sets the mark for guys, but it also allows Djokovic equivalent Serena Williams, who wrapped up her profession very last calendar year, for the most by everyone in the Open up era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court won some of her all-time document of 24 Slam trophies in the novice era.
At 20 days past his 36th birthday, Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, regarded the most grueling of the majors mainly because of the prolonged, grinding details necessary by the purple clay, which is slower than the grass or tricky courts underfoot elsewhere.
Nadal’s 22nd major arrived in Paris two days following he turned 36. He has been sidelined because January by a hip harm and had arthroscopic medical procedures on June 2.
As if all of that weren’t ample, Djokovic’s triumph on Sunday also means he will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic already has put in much more weeks at the major place than any participant — male or lady — since the inception of computerized tennis rankings a fifty percent-century ago.
It was Djokovic who eradicated Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, putting on him down above two thrilling sets right until the 20-calendar year-aged Spaniard’s system cramped up terribly. Alcaraz continued to play, but the scores of the final two sets of the 4-set match told the story: 6-1, 6-1.
This was the third Slam remaining in the earlier 5 activities for Ruud, a 24-12 months-previous from Norway, but he is now -3. He missing to Nadal at the French Open a year ago and to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open very last September.