No Ruud awakening, just Novak Djokovic winning a historic 23rd Slam

PARIS – Novak Djokovic created history on Sunday when he captured a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title with a third French Open triumph, reinforcing his case to be crowned the greatest player of all time.

The 36-year-old Serb brushed off an early wobble to defeat Casper Ruud of Norway 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 7-5 and snap the tie of 22 Slams he shared with career-long rival Rafael Nadal.

Victory for the third time in Paris, after 2016 and 2021, adds to his 10 Australian Open titles, seven at Wimbledon and three at the US Open. He is also the first man to win all four majors at least thrice and is once again halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.

Only Margaret Court and Serena Williams in women’s tennis have managed to rack up 23 Grand Slam titles. Court’s all-time mark of 24 will now be in his sights at Wimbledon in July.

Taking the mic, Djokovic said in French: “Thank you for such a great atmosphere. I’m delighted to be here to share this special moment in my career with you.

“It’s not a coincidence that I won my 23rd Grand Slam here. This tournament has been the hardest to win.

“I’m really proud and honoured to be here on this special court.”

Ruud said: “Another day and another record for you. It’s tough to explain how good it is and how good you are.

“I know this tastes probably the best out of them all. I’m happy I’m the first to congratulate you.”.

There is little sign of Djokovic slowing down. He is now the oldest French Open champion but 11 of his Slam trophies have now been won after he turned 30. On Monday, he will reclaim the world No. 1 ranking and start his 388th week in top spot.

Djokovic was playing in his seventh French Open final and boasted a 4-0 career record over Ruud, not having lost a single set. However, the fourth-ranked Norwegian was the more composed of the two at the start, sprinting out of the blocks for a 2-0 lead when Djokovic shanked an overhead.

Ruud, the 2022 runner-up to Nadal, stretched to 3-0 and 4-1 before Djokovic retrieved the break in the seventh game when his opponent buried an easy smash into the net with an open court begging.

It came at the end of a lung-busting 28-shot rally.

Djokovic missed a break point in the ninth game, tumbling to the red clay as he chased down a Ruud drive. His frustration boiled over when he angrily accused umpire Damien Dumusois of rushing the players between changeovers on a heavy, humid afternoon in the French capital.

Fired up, he then raced through the tiebreak, sealing the opener with a running forehand. Tellingly, that was Djokovic’s sixth tiebreak at this French Open and in none of them had he committed a single unforced error in the 55 points contested.

Despite being Djokovic’s junior by 12 years, Ruud, who also lost the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, suddenly looked spent. Djokovic broke for 2-0 in the second set and despite Ruud saving two set points in the eighth game, the Serb moved closer to his dream.

Ruud saved a break point in the third game of the third set before Djokovic was hit with a warning for taking too long between points. But he wasn’t thrown out of his stride.

Djokovic broke for love at 6-5 and sealed his place in history when Ruud went wide.

Despite losing his record, Nadal said on Twitter: “Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole. 23 is a number that just a few years back was impossible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team!”

While Djokovic made history, Chris Evert believes Iga Swiatek could also do the same by backing her to go on and win “at least 10 French Opens”, though the Pole has vowed not to reveal her Grand Slam hopes in the light of those comments.

The world No. 1 claimed her third Roland Garros title and fourth career Major, all in the last three years, with a thrilling 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Karolina Muchova on Saturday.

“She’s going to be in for the long haul, and I told her – you’ve won three French Opens, you’re only 22, you’re going to go past that. You can go to eight, nine, 10,” said the 18-time Major winner Evert after presenting the Suzanne Lenglen trophy to the Pole.

However, Swiatek, after adding to her 2020 and 2022 triumphs in Paris, was refusing to get ahead of herself. She said: “I’m not really looking that far. I don’t know what I’m capable of.

“I will work day by day to play the best game possible and to develop as a player. I’m not setting like any crazy records or goals for myself. I know that keeping it cool is the best way to do it for me.”

Saturday’s win meant she became the first woman to win back-to-back French Open titles since four-time champion Justine Henin completed a hat-trick in 2007.

Evert, a record seven-time champion at Roland Garros, believes that Swiatek already possesses the trophy-winning appetite of the game’s legends.

“I was just complimenting her on how she played with her back to the wall, and only champions can play like that when they are down,” Evert told Eurosport, adding that Swiatek “hits the ball like a man”.

“There are players that are really hungry – Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, myself and Martina Navratilova, and I think Iga is the same type of person.”

Swiatek insisted she is not going to encourage speculation of a new era which sees her competing with Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, 25, and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, 23, for Slams over the next decade.

“I’m trying to just be focused on my work. And for me, there is no reason to do that. I’m kind of just focused on myself and I don’t care about the other two players,” she said.

Another name could be thrown into the hat of possible Slam contenders, following Saturday’s 2hr 46min roller-coaster final, where the unseeded Muchova displayed a spirited comeback before succumbing to Swiatek.

In fact, her performance has now given the 26-year-old Czech the belief that she can go for the big titles.

“I felt I was very, very close. Close match,” she said. “To call myself a Grand Slam finalist is an amazing achievement and, for sure, big motivation for me to work in the future and get a chance again to play for these big titles.” AFP, REUTERS