Novak Djokovic made history in Paris today, surpassing his record-tying 22 Grand Slam titles (which he shared with Rafael Nadal) to become the winningest men’s singles player ever. Before his grueling finals match against Casper Ruud of Norway—which Djokovic claimed 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a little more than three hours—Djokovic boasted 10 titles at the Australian open, seven titles at Wimbledon, three at the US Open, and two at the French; now, he’s the first man to have won at least three championships at each major, and, at 36, the oldest person to win a singles title at Roland-Garros.
The 24-year-old Ruud, who came into today’s match ranked number four in the world, played his first-ever finals only last year, finishing second at both the 2022 French Open (where he was felled by Nadal) and the 2022 US Open (where Carlos Alcaraz was the victor). Fans of both Ruud’s and Djokovic’s were very vocal, often slowing play down as the chair umpire begged the crowd to be quiet.
Despite a promising start for the Norwegian in the first set, where an early break briefly gave him a 4-1 lead, Djokovic came roaring back in the latter half, erasing Ruud’s break to reach 3-4 after a gasp-inducing rally. By the time they reached the tiebreak, which Djokovic won handily, 7-1, the first set had stretched on for 81 minutes.
The second set was rather tougher going for Ruud. After a 22-shot rally, Djokovic broke Ruud’s first service game and then kept the momentum going, reaching a 4-1 lead just 25 minutes into the set and finally claiming it 6-2.
The final set, while a lot more competitive, was similarly decisive. Although Ruud had a look at a break in the eighth game, leading Djokovic 30-love, Djokovic came roaring back yet again, getting up a break to reach 6-5 before serving for the championship. Tom Brady, who was seated in Djokovic’s box, had his phone out to record the match’s final moments as Ruud hit a return too long. Djokovic quickly dropped to the clay to soak up the moment as the stadium erupted into cheers.
“Another day, another record for you. Another day you rewrite tennis history,” Ruud said a few minutes later, addressing Djokovic as he collected his second-place prize from Yannick Noah, a winner at the French 40 years ago. “What an inspiration you are to so many people around the world.”
Djokovic delivered the first half of his own remarks in (very good!) French, expressing his pleasure at sharing the most exciting moment of his career with the fans in Paris. Upon switching back to English, Djokovic showered Ruud with praise, saying that he deserved “great respect and applause” for his sportsmanship and civility both on and off the court. “I wish you, really, all the best. I wish [that you win] against anybody…except for me.”
The champion went on to thank his team and family—including his parents, his wife, Jelena, and their two young children, all of whom were in the stands—for their patience and tolerance during a tense few weeks. And, of course, he acknowledged his unbelievable record: “I am beyond fortunate in my life to win 23 Grand Slams. It’s an incredible feeling.”
