Perhaps the script was meant to play out this way for Novak Djokovic. Perhaps those dramatic Major misses from defaults, detentions and debars pointed towards a more poetic history at the unlikeliest of stages.
In a Grand Slam that has been more his foe than friend and his greatest rival's fiefdom, Djokovic grabbed the sole bragging rights in the all-time men's singles Slam list and-statistically so at least in the ever-fluctuating GOAT (greatest of all time) talk around the most celebrated era of men's tennis.
By winning his 23rd Slam title at the French Open beating Norwegian world No. 4 Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final on Sunday, Djokovic broke away from Rafael Nadal in the men's pecking order. Joining Serena Williams on the most Slam count by any player in the Open Era, he also became the first man to win all the Majors at least thrice.
"I'm going to start in French. At least I'm going to try," the Serb, beginning his on-court speech in French wearing a jacket where the number 23 shone bright, said. "It's not a coincidence that I've won the 23rd title in Paris, because this tournament is very much the hardest tournament for me to win. It has been for all my career."
That the 36-year-old's red-letter record came on the red dirt of Roland Garros with the 14-time defending champion Nadal, increasingly wounded and close to the finish line, away is symbolic. More so given the Spaniard had, on the Serb's turf at the 2022 Australian Open, surpassed him at No. 21 with the unvaccinated and deported Djokovic away.
This story is from the June 12, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the June 12, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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