“It’s very satisfying and at the same time it’s a huge relief because of all that I went through this year» : Novak Djokovic savors his victory on Sunday at the ATP Masters, a tournament he won for the sixth time, equaling Roger Federer’s record.
At 35, he also became the oldest winner of this tournament bringing together the eight best players of the season. Five games, five successes including the one in the final against the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th) beaten 7-5, 6-3. By the way, this invincibility allows him to win the biggest jackpot ever offered by the ATP: 4,740,300 dollars.
The Serb thus ends in style a season truncated by his refusal of the anti-covid vaccine by winning his second major title of the year after Wimbledon. A sixth trophy at the Masters, which he had been waiting for seven years (the fifth dates back to 2015) and which will allow him to end the year in 5th place in the world.
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t go the distance and had to withdraw due to injury before the tournament. Rafael Nadal, N.2 with the possibility of becoming N.1 again, did not last long with two defeats to start. The others, those present who had the misfortune to cross swords with Djokovic could not prevent his march forward.
Djokovic has missed two Grand Slam tournaments this year (Australian Open and US Open) and four Masters 1000 (Indian Wells, Miami, Canada, Cincinnati). And his victory at Wimbledon did not earn him a single point (but it allowed him to approach a length of the record of 22 Major titles held by Nadal).