Novak Djokovic exclusive: 23-time Grand Slam champion 'overwhelmed with emotion' after historic win
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Published 11/06/2023 at 18:40 GMT
Novak Djokovic was at his sublime best in Paris on Sunday, defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets to not just win the Roland-Garros title, but also a record-making 23rd Grand Slam. That takes him clear of his old foe and long-time rival Rafael Nadal, and with the Spaniard out injured and unable to compete this summer, Djokovic could well extend that record at Wimbledon in a few weeks' time.
'This one came as a crown' - Djokovic tells Eurosport what 23rd Grand Slam means
Novak Djokovic has reached a new pinnacle in the world of men's tennis by winning his 23rd Grand Slam title, having edged ahead of Rafael Nadal’s 22. He beat Casper Ruud in the French Open final in straight sets, with the clay-court specialist powerless to stop Djokovic’s date with destiny.
This Slam has proved arguably the toughest for Djokovic to win, with his three titles here a far cry from the 10 he has achieved Down Under, and the seven at Wimbledon. Thus, to clinch that record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris clearly made the victory even sweeter.
After the match, Djokovic caught up with Eurosport’s Barbara Schett, Tim Henman and Mats Wilander courtside to discuss just what this moment meant to him.
“This one today came as a crown, for all the hard work, two Slams," Djokovic told Eurosport. "I said at the start of the year, I want to peak in Slams, play my best tennis there, and they are the tournaments that matter the most at this stage in my career.
“Roland-Garros has always been the toughest one for me to win out of the four Slams. I’ve failed at the last step against Rafa [Nadal] and against Stan [Wawrinka] in the finals, and 2016 was one of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced, winning here, and again in 2021, and now today. I’m just overwhelmed with positive emotions.”
Djokovic had struggled on clay in the build up to the second Slam of the season, failing to make a single final on the surface. As such, he wasn’t considered the out and out favourite heading into Roland-Garros, with Carlos Alcaraz attracting plenty of attention.
But in what is certainly the second half of his career, Djokovic was able to ignore the noise and concentrate on his game, although he admitted that it had been a “huge challenge” to ignore the weight of history that rested on his shoulders.
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“When you’re one of the top players, you are expected to win every single match, so every match you lose is a scandal, it’s a tragedy. I lost more than I’ve won coming into Roland-Garros, so there were a lot of doubts from people, from myself, but deep down, I was working with my team and we worked to make sure I could perform my best here,” he said.
“Coming into the French Open, I felt good. I love competing in best-of-five, and most of the players know it’s going to be a really high mountain to beat me in best-of-five - and I like that feeling.”
The question now is, of course, what number of Slams could he reach, and can he do the Calendar Grand Slam? He fell at the last hurdle in New York a couple of years ago when he last tried to win all four majors in the same year, losing to Daniil Medvedev with the occasion seemingly getting to him. But having proven unstoppable this year and having managed to control his nerves with history on the line this time around, perhaps the only thing now counting against Djokovic is time.
“I do feel great. Winning in Australia with the injury wasn’t great, but look - I know I have to be aggressive. I’m not 26 anymore, I’m 36,” he said with a wry smile.
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'He's just at a different level' - Henman hails Djokovic's incredible feat
“I try not to think about age, but at the same time, the body doesn’t respond the same. I have to take it to my opponent, I have to step in, I have to be the aggressor on the court and try to control the pace.
“Clay, it's a different surface, you have to mix it up, you have to play well in transition, at the back, serve and volley sometimes, especially against Casper [Ruud], a specialist who loves moving on clay. But I managed to play at the most important moments today the best tennis, so that’s what I’ll take away.”
That, and a slice of history.
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The 2023 French Open was live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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