Djokovic firmly changes dimensions and makes history in Paris.

Day 15 and final day in Roland Garros, and it’s #3 seed, Serbian Novak Djokovic, who takes on Norway’s #1 player and 4th seed, Casper Ruud, for his back-to-back final on the French Clay.

Throughout their ATP Head2Head history, both players are tending to meet each other for the 5th time, while The Serbian is definitely dominating it by 4-0.

Both players were tremendously showing some good stuff along the whole past rounds, reaching the final, with losing only 5 sets in just 12 matches; 2 sets were down for Novak against 3 for the Scandinavian.

Is it the first one for Casper after being a two-Grand-Slam finalist, or Novak who will make it 23 in the cabinet ?

We’ll just find it out next.

With just starting the match on a closed-roof, preventing any rain interruptions coming by, the Serbian goes out not perfectly-well shaped.

With 10 unusual unforced errors from Novak, while it was just going on the third game of the match, consistency and determination were well-shown from Ruud to just let him take an early break.

The Scandinavian seemed well-catching the lines during the rallies.

4 games to 2 down, Djokovic strikes back, and catched the match rhythm, until a tie-break win is announced.

Sticking to just returning every ball, never going back behind in each rally and pushing Casper until the last hit, Novak succeeded to just put a hand on the trophy in an exceptional and impeccable way, dominating the first set 7-6 (1), and he’s now by two sets away from history!

He’s never been really on top, until he got it to the tie-break.

‘Superb Djokovic’ took the momentum back into the match from the beginning of the second set, showed some good consistent hitting from the baseline into offensiveness, by breaking Casper’s serve while he dropped his playing level.

Second set was on, and with 77% of 1st serve percentage, Djokovic was perfectly managing the whole game, taking the lead by 2 sets to love, and he’s one single set away from the victory.

Third set, it was Djokovic who made up the big blows on the red surface, going through secure steps in each game, holding tough serves, great motion, powerful groundstrokes, and outrageously found the lines to get a very important break in the most sophisticated moment of the match, to just get himself handling back the ‘Coupe des Mousquetaires’ between hands.

By lifting the trophy, Novak Djokovic became a massive record holder and well-recognized as the oldest ever ‘Roland Garros’ Champion at the age of 36.
The first male player in tennis history to win 23 Grand Slam titles, as he overpassed Spain’s Rafael Nadal with his 22 slams ahead, and the first ever to get each major at least 3 times; no one in the men’s tour has done it before.

Absolutely, this is the pinnacle of his career!

“It was no coincidence that I won all 23 grand slams, and to conclude it here in Paris, because this tournament was really the hardest tournament to win throughout my career, and it is very special for me to be in this mythical court to celebrate this title with all of you. Thank you for being all out here with me today.” Djokovic said in his on-court speech.

Raising the bar extremely high for the next generations, Novak is halfway now to a Calendar Slam; much closer than ever, after facing so much pressure while being dismissed for last year’s Australian Open and US Open during COVID and going through vaccination struggle and worldwide struggle.

By the end of the clay swing, Djokovic had secured his return back to the World’s top spot again by tomorrow’s updated ‘Pepperstone ATP Rankings’, and he’ll inevitably well-qualified and he’ll definitely seek for defending his Wimbledon title on SW19 Grass and to chase his 24th major, starting from July 3rd.

There’s more yet to come in history books!

Thabet KRIR