Novak Djokovic entered a class of his own in the history of men’s tennis on Sunday.
By defeating Casper Ruud in Paris – by a score of 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 – Djokovic secured a men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam singles championship. That’s one more than Rafael Nadal, three more than Roger Federer, and more than any other man to swing a tennis racket.
The mark also ties him with Serena Williams for the most Grand Slam singles championships by any tennis player.
After winning at Roland-Garros, the Serbian also becomes the first male tennis player to win each Grand Slam tournament title at least three times. He’s now won the French Open three times, the U.S. Open three times, Wimbeldon seven times and the Australian Open 10 times.
At 36 years old, Djokovic is also the oldest singles champion at Roland-Garros.
Simply put, while his career has not been without controversy, Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players we’ve ever seen, and the moment he won on Sunday was a special one.
Even Nadal — known for his heartfelt messages to fellow competitors — was impressed.
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
See for yourself:
🏆 Forever raising the bar 🏆@DjokerNole masters Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 to win a third Roland-Garros title and an unprecedented 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title.
⁰#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/9IfTi39alB
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 11, 2023
A legendary moment ✨#RolandGarros @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/IdT4LWqqjO
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 11, 2023
Djokovic is now halfway toward a single-year sweep of the four majors. No men’s player has pulled off a calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close in 2021, but was upset in the title match of the U.S. Open.
It’s been a good weekend for athletes from Serbia too. Nikola Jokic has the Denver Nuggets just one win away from winning their first NBA Finals after posting 23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in Game 4 against the Miami Heat on Friday.
