Novak Djokovic

With his victory in the French Open men's singles, Novak Djokovic earns his 23rd Grand Slam championship.

At the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Sunday, Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in the men's singles French Open final match in three sets.

Théophile Camus/AP

PARIS — Novak Djokovic has been quite open about his intentions for years. what motivated him. what motivated him. Djokovic's major goal was to win the greatest trophies on the largest platforms in his sport,

and now that he has accomplished that,

he stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and every other guy to have ever picked up a racket.

If Djokovic could wait this long to hold this record, he could undoubtedly wait the 30-45 minutes it needed for his swings to become more uniform in the French Open final. So, on Sunday, after a little bit of a rocky start in the heavy,

muggy air and behind the ominous charcoal clouds, he asserted himself. Casper Ruud, the opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, never had a chance after that.

Djokovic beat Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 to win his men's-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three ahead of the retiring Federer. The match lasted 3 hours, 13 minutes, and for the majority of that time, there was little genuine question as to the outcome.

The 36-year-old Serbian Djokovic, who also won the French Open in 2016 and 2021, is the only person to have won at least three of each major tournament. He has taken home 10 medals at the Australian Open, 7 from Wimbledon, and 3 from the U.S. Open.

Halfway to a Grand Slam for the calendar year is Djokovic.

Following their victory in Sunday's championship tennis match of the French Open at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, right, hugs Norway's Casper Ruud.

By Jean-Francois Badias for AP

It's also important to note that Djokovic is halfway to completing the calendar-year Grand Slam, which requires winning all four major tournaments in a single season. Rod Laver last accomplished this feat in 1969. When he won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and advanced all the way to the U.S. Open championship final before falling to Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic came dangerously close to accomplishing that feat in 2021.

Djokovic will continue to pursue that goal at Wimbledon, which starts on the All England Club's grass on July 3.

He has now won the trophy in 11 of the previous 20 Slams, an impressive record made even more so when you realize that he missed two big events during those time because he did not receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Prior to the Australian Open in January 2021, Djokovic was deported from Australia, and before the U.S. Open last year, he was prohibited from traveling by air due to a restriction that has since been overturned.

By reaching 23, Djokovic not only breaks the record for men, but also ties Serena Williams, whose career came to an end last year, for the most wins in the Open era, which started in 1968. Some of Margaret Court's 24 Slam titles, a record, were earned during the amateur period.

Tennis legend Serena Williams is so much more than that.

It's a Picture Show

Tennis legend Serena Williams is so much more than that.

Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, which is the most taxing of the majors because to the arduous, grinding points that the red clay, which is slower than the grass or hard courts underfoot, requires. Djokovic is 36 years old, 20 days over his actual birthday.

Two days after he turned 36, Nadal's 22nd major tournament came in Paris last year. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on June 2 and has been out since January due to a hip issue.

As if all of that weren't enough, Djokovic's victory on Sunday ensures that he will replace Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the ATP rankings on Monday. Since the introduction of computerized tennis rankings a half-century ago, Djokovic has already spent more weeks at the top than any other player, male or female.

Alcaraz, a 20-year-old Spaniard, was defeated by Djokovic in the semifinal match on Thursday after the Serbian player wore him down over two exciting sets and caused severe muscle cramping. Alcaraz persisted in playing, but the final two scores of the four-set match—6-1, 6-1—told the whole tale.

Ruud, a Norwegian 24-year-old who reached his third Slam final in the last five competitions, is currently 0-3. In the last year, he suffered defeats to Nadal in the French Open and to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open.

Djokovic, in his 34th major final, was the one who had a rocky beginning, maybe as a result of being conscious of everything that was at risk.

A half-ovation and courteous applause greeted Ruud's entrance. More people stood up when Djokovic entered the room to a loud and thundering chanting of his two-syllable moniker, "No-le! No-le! No-le!" Right before the performance started, that chorus started back up. It continued throughout the day, occasionally to laud his accomplishments and other times to offer encouragement.

The chants for his name were deafening as Djokovic rattled off 12 of the final 13 points to put an end to the match, collapsing on his back with his limbs splayed wide.

At the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Sunday, Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in the men's singles French Open final match in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5.

Théophile Camus/AP

The recommended way to greet Ruud? His last name was repeatedly said in a monotonous manner with a long "Ruud" sound that sounded like booing, but was, of course, not booing.

Ruud initially appeared to be doing his hardest to put Djokovic's lesser forehand to the test. Early on, it paid off as Djokovic kept missing that shot—into the net, wide, and long—before making a different type of error—missing an overhead from close to the net much beyond the opposing baseline—leading to a break and a 2-0 deficit.

For some reason, the shot has always been Djokovic's "bête noire," and later in the set, he missed another overhead.

oon, Ruud was up 4-1, in part because of Djokovic's difficulties. By that point, Djokovic had committed 13 unforced mistakes compared to Ruud's four.

Then things started to shift.

Djokovic adjusted his game, making just 14 unforced errors in the last two games after closing the first set with 18.

Once again missing an overhead, Ruud swung back and deposited his shot into the net to conclude the 29-stroke point. Djokovic shook his right fist after his first serve break made the score 4-3.

A tiebreaker was used, which was firmly under Djokovic's control. He just performs better as the importance and strain increase. Has, it seems, always.

Djokovic delivered four wins and no unforced mistakes in the first-to-seven period.

With a winning percentage of.655, he had a record of 308-162 in tiebreakers during his career. In 2023, he is 15-4, including 6-0 in Paris. During those six matches, 55 points were played, and Djokovic committed no unforced mistakes.

Zero, read that again.

That one set, which lasted one hour and twenty-one minutes, was jam-packed with lengthy discussions and the kind of issues about which entire tales might be written. Some others experienced 20, 25, or 29 strokes. Ruud was able to win one with the aid of a between-the-legs shot with his back to the net. On another, Djokovic fell behind the baseline, rubbing the rust-colored clay across his red shirt, blue shorts, and skin.

On defense, Djokovic stretches, bends, twists, and the results are evident on the scoreboard. However, all of the lengthy points also deplete a foe's strength and resolve.

Perhaps it also helps because Djokovic is familiar with all the tiny details. He voiced his displeasure to chair umpire Damien Dumusois on the length of time allocated for changeovers, arguing that a little extra rest wouldn't harm. Djokovic frequently extended the 25-second serve clock past its expiration, to the point that one spectator yelled, "Serve it!" Dumusois also forewarned him about taking too long during the third set.

With his abilities now fully on show, Djokovic repeatedly pushed his right index finger into his temple after he broke Ruud to take the lead 3-0 in the second set. He turned to face his box in the spectators, where his agent, seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, his wife, two daughters, and coach Goran Ivanisevic were among the visitors.

Brady, who recently retired, is widely regarded as the NFL's "Greatest of All-Time" (or "GOAT," for short), and there has been discussion over who among Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer merits the moniker in the tennis community for quite some time.

No one can contest Djokovic's current standing if Grand Slam victories serve as a gauge.