France's Novak Djokovic will claim a record 23 Grand Slams if he beats Casper Ruud in the 2023 Roland Garros final.
*Djokovic - Ruud: 7:30 p.m. today, June 11, on VnExpress.
Djokovic is on a high at Philippe Chatrier today. In addition to the chance to surpass Rafael Nadal to claim the Grand Slam record, Nole will make history as the first male tennis player to win each Grand Slam at least three times. If he wins, he will also reclaim the world number one spot from Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic saves the ball with a backhand in the semi-final win over Alcaraz. Photo: FFT
The man tasked with stopping Djokovic from reaching the record is Casper Ruud, the best product of Nadal's academy. Last year, in his first Grand Slam final, Ruud won just six games in a crushing defeat to the "King of Clay". This year, the 24-year-old has improved significantly in experience and class. It is his third Grand Slam final, after two runner-up finishes at Roland Garros and the US Open last year.
For Djokovic, the second chance to claim the Grand Slam record is hanging over his head. At the 2021 US Open, Nole lost in the final to Medvedev, when everyone thought he would be the first person to reach the 21st Grand Slam as well as win all the Grand Slams in one year. Learning from that sad experience, Djokovic did not put too much pressure on himself in the match against Ruud.
"Hopefully I'll play my best tennis," Djokovic said after beating top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. "I'm very focused. I'm happy to have the chance to make history, but I'm just thinking about winning the next match."
Djokovic has won all four previous meetings with Ruud without dropping a set. But that hasn't dampened the fourth seed's confidence as he looks to become Norway's first Grand Slam champion. "I want to do better than last year," Ruud said. "Let's see what I can learn from the two final defeats."
Ruud (left) congratulates Djokovic at the Rome Masters 2022 semi-finals, when the Serbian won his 1,000th career match. Photo: AP
Both have come through the previous rounds impressively. Djokovic has only dropped two sets in six matches at the tournament, becoming the second oldest player to reach the Roland Garros final in history. In the biggest challenge, Carlos Alcaraz, in the semi-finals, Nole played brilliantly in the first set, before "brutally" winning the third and fourth sets thanks to his opponent's cramp. Ruud has been playing better and better, easily eliminating two big opponents Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev in the last two rounds.
Ruud’s powerful and accurate forehand is the highlight of his game. A series of heavy balls in quick succession helped the Norwegian dominate Zverev on Friday. He will need to play at a similar level, or even higher, if he is to beat Nole for the first time. The Serb is renowned for his superb defense, but it was Djokovic’s variety of attacks that gave him the early advantage against Alcaraz. The third seed will test Ruud’s game today with his power and accuracy on the serve. He can also change the tempo with a drop shot if needed.
Clay is Ruud's forte. Since 2020, the 24-year-old has won the most ATP matches on this surface, with 87, far ahead of Djokovic (54). Even though he was not at his best in the early months of this year, Ruud still won his 10th ATP title in Estoril and reached the semi-finals of the Clay Masters in Rome.
However, facing Djokovic in a five-set tie will be one of the biggest tests of Ruud's career. The 36-year-old has won 20 consecutive Grand Slam matches, and will not be deterred no matter how good a start his junior gets.
Ruud has only lost three sets since the start of Roland Garros 2023. Photo: AP
Both will try to take the pressure off by treating this as a normal match, rather than a Grand Slam final. Ruud says he will put aside emotions and expectations of winning, playing on “autopilot”. Djokovic is preparing for a long match, and will only talk about history if he wins.
Djokovic is the only player to reach at least seven finals at every Grand Slam. He has broken many milestones in tennis history. This year's Roland Garros is a summary of Nole's career over the past few years, when he has pursued records that he has not yet conquered. At this point, Ruud is the only person who can stop Djokovic from reaching tennis perfection.
Nhan Dat
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