Novak Djokovic seals RECORD 23rd Grand Slam title and cements his claim to being the greatest tennis player of all time after seeing off Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the French Open final
- Novak Djokovic made history by winning his 23rd Grand Slam singles title
- The Serbian beat Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets in the French Open final
- Djokovic won 7-6(1) 6-3 7-5 to overtake Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles
Novak Djokovic pressed his claim to be the greatest player of all time after another performance of granite toughness saw him claim a third French Open title.
The 36 year-old Serb pounced in the absence of Rafael Nadal to come through and moved one ahead of him onto 23 Majors wins, a lead that looks unassailable.
He survived an edgy beginning to defeat Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-6 6-3 7-5 in three hours and 13 minutes, proving once again to be the man for all surfaces. He equals Serena Williams’s tally of the biggest singles titles, and few would bet against him equalling the total of Margaret Court’s 24 once Wimbledon is over.
Yet again it was the granite temperament of Djokovic which proved decisive as he played another watertight tiebreak that turned the match. Yet again a player born in the Nineties could not uncrown one born in the eighties.
Before a host of sports stars and celebrities he showed who rules this sport, and is halfway to a calendar Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic made history by sealing his 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the French Open
The Serbian collapsed to the clay floor after seeing off Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets
Ruud lost his second French Open final in a row, again without taking a set off his opponent
Having broken to love for 6-5 in the third with penetrating groundstrokes off either flank he served for the match, racing to 40-0 before missing a simple forehand. He forced one final error out of the plucky Ruud and fell onto his back in the moment of victory.
Both players went off for a change of clothes after the first set, and Ruud must have spent the time wondering how he was not leading by that point.
He outplayed his opponent for much of it, and it was clear that Djokovic – showing that he is human – was nervous in the face of history beckoning. His forehand was completely awry as he fell behind 4-1, but his return of serve got him back into it as he broke back.
Missed overheads from both sides told of some wobbles, but the Serb hung in even when Ruud produced a miraculous lob from between his legs to win a point against all odds. The stadium, whose number included Tom Brady, Olivier Giroud, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kylian Mbappe, was brought to its feet.
Ruud still had the momentum going into the tiebreak, but that means nothing with Djokovic. He then produced yet another textbook example of playing the shootout, finding a new level of consistency to take it 7-1. Incredibly, across six French Open tiebreaks he did not make a single unforced error, and when he clinched it, that was the 23rd out of 25 tiebreaks that he had won on tour this season.
Djokovic was pushed to a tiebreak in the first set, but won it by conceding just one point
The Serbian’s forehand was gaining potency throughout his run to a straight-sets victory
Ruud will reflect on the defeat by wondering how he was not in front after the epic first set
It had been a gruelling 90-minute first set, and it served to knock the stuffing out of the Norwegian, who – aside from his serve – had brought his best tennis to the court up until then.
The second set was a far more straightforward affair once Djokovic had secured the early break, with Ruud’s backhand, which had been highly effective early on, notably dropping off in its efficiency.
Ruud’s serve picked up in the third set, and at 4-3 with 0-30 on his opponent’s serve he had an inkling. Djokovic had a long overdue time violation but still got out of it.
Djokovic’s forehand gained added potency as the match went on, although Ruud, to his credit, would not surrender.
