2023-06-11 18:26:00
The record is already yours: 23 Grand Slams. Novak Djokovic is already the best. And she celebrated it in a big way, throwing herself on the ground. He did it by winning his third Roland Garros ante Casper Ruud by 7-6 (1), 6-3 and 7-5. The glory is yours. Since he won his first Australian Open (2011) he has overcome the pulse that he had with the already retired Roger Federer (20) and the absent Rafael Nadal (22). A jacket with the number 23 that he put on at the end of the final showed his pride in his success.
Djokovic He warmed up in the locker room listening to the ‘Bolero de Ravel’ that the orchestra played as a show prior to the start of the final. In the box was all his family, children, parents and Tom BradyAmerican football star, with his wife, Jelena, hat, bright pink shirt and white pants. All ready for the big moment. But on the track he, alone in the face of danger.
The pressure was maximum. He conceded a scoreless first game and gave up his first serve (0-2), after more than 10 minutes trying to save Ruud’s three ‘break points’. “It’s not over yet!”, yelled someone from the 15,000 fans who filled the stands to attend the great moment. The last step was going to cost. He needed 25 minutes to win his first game and 40 to get his first ‘break’ (3-4) and raise his fist angrily, liberating.
‘Tie break, sin error’
Djokovic could not find the rhythm nor could he command as i should do. On the other side of the net Ruud he seemed to have a very clear tactic. From the bottom it was a wall and when he could he looked for the winning right. And so the Norwegian, 4 in the world, came to force the ‘tie break’. He was the sixth that Djokovic played at Roland Garros and he had not lost any of the previous ones. He did not fail. Without any unforced error, as in the previous ones, he adjusted his racket to take it away, giving up only one point, after 1 hour and 21 minutes of anxiety.
From the 6-6 of the first set, Djokovic had an almost flawless run from 18 points to 3 and on the first occasion he broke Ruud’s serve (2-0). The tension was gone. Djokovic had taken command. His indecisions had disappeared. “Nole, nole!” the stands encouraged him. In 52 minutes the second set was scored.
In the third set Ruud, now with nothing to lose, endured the fight to force the 5-5 until Djokovic made the ‘break’ that gave him the opportunity to end the final with his serve.
Djokovic did not miss the opportunity. With a forehand and a shot off the court, to the second ‘match ball’, after 3 hours and 13 minutes, he won the point that opened the doors wide for him in the history of tennis and sport. Be the best. To be the tennis player with the most Grand Slams in history, 23 in 2023, and achieve it on the land of Rafael Nadal, absolute dominator of Roland Garros, with 14 titles since 2005, who has not been able to defend his last title won on court last year due to a hip injury, although in the center more than one yelled the traditional “Let’s go Rafa!”.
Triplet in the Grand Slam
Not even the absence of the invincible champion should detract from the conquest of Djokovic who, with his third Musketeers Cup (2016, 2021 and 2023), becomes the only tennis player in history with a treble in all four Grand Slams and on different surfaces (10 Australian Open, 7 Wimbledon, 3 US Opens and 3 Roland Garros) and is placed 14 games away from making the Grand Slam (the four big ones in one year) which remains the Australian’s indestructible record Rod Laver since 1969.
At 36 years and 20 days old, Djokovic still feels strong enough to continue breaking those records that have fueled his ego and his desire to continue on track since he made his debut on the circuit in 2003, 20 years ago now with an impressive career with 94 titles to his record and 1,058 victories on the circuit for only 210 losses.
back to number 1
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The victory at Roland Garros, the 21st in a row since Wimbledon last year, returns him to number 1 that he will wear this Monday for 388 weeks. A success achieved despite not having played the American tour this year either, for not being vaccinated for covid-19 and not being able to enter the United States to qualify for the 2,000 points that were distributed to the champions in Indian Wells and Miami.
Since last May Djokovic will already have access to play the US Open again where, in 2021, he lost the final with Daniil Medvedev (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and the chance to win the long-awaited Grand Slam. The victory in Paris opens up a new opportunity for him to keep making history.
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