Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in the Roland Garros 2023 final on June 11, thereby monopolizing the record of 23 Grand Slams.
Fifteen years ago, Djokovic quietly entered the Grand Slam race for the greatest tennis players of all time, breaking Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's nearly half-decade dominance at major tournaments. Since then, the Serbian tennis player has always used the records and heights of fame of the other two in the "Big 3" group as inspiration to push himself to new limits.
Nole never doubted that one day, he would surpass all to conquer the most prestigious records. What many people thought impossible many years ago, finally became inevitable. Djokovic won Roland Garros 2023 after defeating Casper Ruud in three sets, to claim a record of 23 Grand Slams.
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Djokovic lifted the musketeer trophy at Roland Garros for the third year. |
The historic win on June 11 also helped Djokovic become the first male tennis player to win at least three Grand Slam titles and the oldest to win at Roland Garros. He will return to the number one spot on the ATP rankings, extending his record of 388 weeks at the top of the world.
At 36, Djokovic still covers the court with more ease and agility than his physical peak. Casper Ruud, coming off two Grand Slam final defeats, knows what level he needs to play against Djokovic in a big match. The Norwegian did so in the early games, but could not maintain that level throughout the match.
Nole's 13 unforced errors in just the first five games left him trailing 4-1 to Ruud. The Serbian seemed a little nervous as he stood before the chance to make history. But Nole quickly showed his mettle, winning the serve and then continuing to save the break-point to level the score at 4-4. From then until the end of the match, Ruud did not win more than two points in Djokovic's serve games.
When the first set went into a tie-break, Ruud knew his chances of winning the set were slim. Djokovic, like in previous rounds, made no unforced errors in the nerve-wracking match. He started the tie-break with two convincing winners after a series of back-to-backs, before winning the set 7-1.
"He can play a tough defense or a beautiful attack, but he doesn't make mistakes," Ruud said of Djokovic, who has won all six tie-breaks at the tournament. "Djokovic has many options, he can let you miss or he can score a winner himself."
Ruud's sense of helplessness increased in the second set, when Djokovic's powerful and accurate forehand gave him complete control of the game. Nole almost nullified Ruud's serve, while constantly damaging the Norwegian's backhand. He won the return game early, then ended the set with a score of 6-3.
After saving a break-point at the start of the third set, Ruud put some pressure on Djokovic in the pivotal service game. But Nole held the game successfully, leveling the score at 4-4 despite being down 0-30. After that game, the 36-year-old tennis player saw his chance in the third set when his junior showed signs of tension. Djokovic unleashed his strength, attacking in the return games and then successfully capitalizing on the break-point to lead 6-5. He had no difficulty holding the deciding game, winning 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 after three hours and 15 minutes.
After sharing his joy with his family and team, Djokovic sat down and cried with joy. He became the greatest tennis player in history, without any doubt. Ruud was also in tears, as he missed out on his first Grand Slam title for the third time. He had yet to win a set against Nole in five matches.
The Norwegian accepted defeat to his senior in a convincing manner. "Another record for you," Ruud told Djokovic on the podium. "You have written tennis history again. It's hard to analyze how great it is, how great you are. You are an inspiration to so many people around the world."
In his victory speech, Djokovic talked about his childhood goal of winning Wimbledon and becoming world number one. What he has achieved has far exceeded that dream. The great era of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Serena Williams has completely changed the way people perceive success in tennis.
Nowadays, when young players talk about their goals, they don't just want to win a Grand Slam, to be number one in the world, but they want to be the best in history. But Djokovic's 23 Grand Slams is a very high standard, a record that is very difficult to break.
According to VnExpress
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