Novak Djokovic, the oldest man to win at Roland Garros, overcame a wobbly start on Court Philippe Chatrier to beat Ruud in straight sets, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-5, breaking the 22-Slam tie he shared with Rafael Nadal, the “King of Clay”, on the Spaniard’s favourite court.
Nadal, whose absence due to injury weighed heavily on the tournament this year, was quick to hail his “amazing achievement”, adding in a tweet: “23 is a number that just a few years back was impossible to think about”.
The only player to have reached seven finals at each Grand Slam tournament, Djokovic is now the first man to win three titles at each – a feat only Margaret Court, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have achieved in the women’s game.
“It’s an incredible feeling to win 23. I’m beyond grateful and blessed to be standing here with so many incredible achievements,” said an emotional Djokovic as he lifted the Musketeers’ Cup for a third time, with sports celebrities Tom Brady, Kylian Mbappé and Mike Tyson in the stands.
Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole
23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it!
Enjoy it with your family and team! 👏🏻— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 11, 2023
The Serb won his first Grand Slam title 15 years ago at the Australian Open in Melbourne, which he went on to win nine more times. He’s collected seven at Wimbledon, three at the US Open and now three at the French Open, too.
Court’s all-time mark of 24 majors will be in his sights when he heads to Wimbledon next month as the last of the “Big Three” still standing.
“I don’t want to say that I’m the greatest,” he told reporters when asked whether he felt he had pulled ahead of his great rivals Nadal and Roger Federer. “It’s disrespectful towards great champions in other eras. Each great champion of his generation has left a huge mark and paved the way.”
Victory at the French Open means Djokovic will return to the world number one ranking on Monday – reclaiming the top spot from 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, whom the bookmakers had imprudently labelled the hot favourite ahead of their semi-final on Friday.
