Tennis tournament French Open in Paris (clay, subsidy 49.6 million euros): Men: Singles – final, June 11, 2023. Novak Djokovic of Serbia rejoices at the victory.
Paris – Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic won Roland Garros for the third time in his career and won a record 23rd Grand Slam title. In the historical tables, with today's triumph, he broke away from Rafael Nadal, who did not defend his championship due to injury. In the final, he defeated Nor Casper Ruud 7:6, 6:3, 7:5, who remained just below the top for the second time in a row on the Paris clay.
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Photo gallery: French Open 2023 tennis tournament
Thanks to winning the title, the 36-year-old Djokovic will return to the first place in Monday's edition of the world rankings. He will dethrone the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, whom he eliminated in the semi-finals in Paris.
“The Grand Slam is the Grand Slam. The four biggest tournaments we have in tennis. Every player dreams of stepping on this stage and he will win the title at least once in his career. I was very lucky in my life to win it twenty-three times, it's an incredible feeling,” said Djokovic during the ceremony on the Philippe Chatrier court.
Djokovic also made history in other statistics. At the age of 36 years and 20 days, he surpassed fourteen-time Paris champion Nadal as the oldest Roland Garros winner. Last year, the Spaniard won his 22nd trophy two days after his 36th birthday. As the first in history, Djokovic also managed to win each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least three times.
Nadal was among the first to congratulate him on reaching the milestone. “Congratulations on this incredible performance,” the Majorca native wrote on Twitter. “23 is a number that seemed impossible to contemplate a few years ago, and you did it!” he added.
In the duel with the twenty-four-year-old Ruud, Djokovic had to make up for the loss in the first set. He was losing 0:3 against a bravely playing opponent, but he commanded a turnaround from 1:4. He took the set to a tie-break, which he won clearly 7:1. He carried his comfort into the second set as well, quickly taking a 3-0 lead and maintaining the break advantage.
Djokovic decided the tied third set in the endgame. In the eleventh game, he won Ruud's serve with clean play and converted the second match point during his serve. After three hours and 16 minutes, he fell on his back in the clay in front of a roaring audience, which included many stars from the world of sports and art, enjoying the ovation.
“Another day, another record. And another day when you are rewriting tennis history. It's hard to express how amazing it is and how good you are. And what an inspiration you are to many people all over the world,” congratulated Ruud on the court, who unsuccessfully fought for his first Grand Slam title last year and in the final of the US Open. “I'm glad to be the first to thank you from this stage,” he added.
Djokovic's third Musketeer Cup after wins in 2016 and 2021 added to his ten Australian Open, seven Wimbledon and three US Open trophies. The collection that he started in 2008 with his premier triumph in Melbourne, he will be able to expand already in July on the grass of London.
With a record 23rd title among men, he equaled the absolute maximum of the so-called Open era counted since 1968. He shares it with the American Serena Williams, who ended her career last year. By winning the 24th trophy, he would equal the historical record of Australian Margaret Court, who dominated the Grand Slams in the amateur era.
Sie Shu-wei won the doubles at Roland Garros for the second time, this time with Wang Sin-ju
Tennis players Xie Shu-wei from Taiwan and China's Wang Xin-yu won the Grand Slam title in Paris in only their second tournament together. They won the final match at Roland Garros against Leylah Fernandez from Canada and the American Taylor Townsend in victory 1:6, 7:6 and 6:1.
37-year-old Sia Shuwei won the trophy on the Paris clay already in 2014 , at that time her teammate was another native of China, Peng Shuai. Overall, she triumphed at the Grand Slam for the fifth time, at Wimbledon in 2019 with Barbora Strýcová.
French Open tennis tournament in Paris
(clay, subsidy 49.6 million euros)
Men:
Singles – final:
Djokovic (3-Serb.) – Ruud (4-Nor.) 7:6 (7: 1), 6:3, 7:5.
Women:
Doubles – final:
Xie Shu-wei, Wang Sin-yü (Taiwan wan/China) – Townsend, Fernandez (10-USA/Can.) 1:6, 7:6 (7:5), 6:1.
