PARIS — Novak Djokovic has been very open about his intentions for years. what motivated him. what motivated him. Djokovic's major goal was to win the biggest trophies on the biggest platforms in his sport, and now that he has accomplished that, he stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and every other guy to have ever picked up a racket.
If Djokovic could wait this long to hold this record, he could undoubtedly wait the 30-45 minutes it needed for his swings to become more uniform in the French Open final. So, on Sunday, after a little bit of a rocky start in the heavy, muggy air and behind the ominous charcoal clouds, he asserted himself. Casper Ruud, the opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, never had a chance after that.
Djokovic beat Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 to win his men's-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three ahead of the retiring Federer. The match lasted 3 hours, 13 minutes, and for the majority of that time, there was little genuine doubt as to the outcome.
The 36-year-old Serbian Djokovic, who also won the French Open in 2016 and 2021, is the only person to have won at least three of each major tournament. He has taken home 10 medals at the Australian Open, 7 from Wimbledon, and 3 from the U.S. Open.