The unstoppable Novak Djokovic: Of dreams, sweat and tears... saluting the 23-time Grand Slam King
Serbian great Novak Djokovic extended his lead in the Big Titles race on Sunday when he clinched the French Open 2023 crown to surpass Rafael Nadal by sealing a record 23rd Grand Slam title.
FollowPrior to amassing 23 major singles wins on Sunday at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic was a young man with lofty goals. The Serbian always dreamed of winning a Grand Slam, notably Wimbledon, and rising to the top of the global rankings. The 36-year-old frequently recalls how inspired he was when he saw Pete Sampras raise the trophy at SW19.
Djokovic wasn't the only one in that dream, either. Millions of people have dreamed of taking part in a Grand Slam competition, let alone winning the trophy. Setting objectives is one thing; achieving them is another.
However, Djokovic went out on his journey with unwavering tenacity. The late Jelena Gencic, who had previously trained a number of elite athletes, including Monica Seles, worked with the Serbian from an early age. Videos of a young Djokovic hitting balls with a large racquet and a focused expression on his face are readily available.
In the 2008 Australian Open final, Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win his maiden major championship.
“It's my first Grand Slam. I'm very happy for that,” Djokovic said at the time. “I'm gonna take it easy. I'm not gonna try to think about reaching even higher goals right away. I'm not in [a] rush.”
Djokovic has accomplished his goal of winning a Grand Slam. That was impressive, especially for a youngster from a place without a long history of tennis and whose family had no tennis history—instead, some of his relatives were skiers.
When Djokovic made his debut at a major tournament 15 years earlier, Sampras still held the male record for the most major singles titles with 14. Rafael Nadal was a formidable force on clay who was fast acclimating to the other surfaces, while Roger Federer was the top player in the world and well on his way to unseating the American.
It would have been challenging to picture Djokovic ousting them all when Federer and Nadal were in the height of their powers and other legendary champions were fighting with them. However, the Serbian has continued to pursue his competitors ever since, whether it be in their head-to-head contests or finally in the record books.
Djokovic did not always exhibit Federer's spectacular shotmaking or Nadal's unbeatable physical attributes. Early in his career, he did not enjoy the same amount of popularity or the same sense of invincibility. His numerous retirements demonstrated that he still had space for physical development.
But Djokovic has consistently strived to improve every facet of his skill, leaving his own mark on the sport in the process.
One significant record, the number of major singles titles won in history, eluded him even though he was already the record holder for the majority of weeks spent at World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He won his 20th Slam trophy at Wimbledon in 2021, matching Federer and Nadal for the first time.
However, Novak Djokovic stood by himself on Sunday after a lifetime of aspirations and more than 15 years since achieving great success for the first time. At Roland Garros, the Serbian defeated Casper Ruud to win a record-tying 23rd Slam title.
“I was a seven-year-old dreaming that I could win Wimbledon and become No. 1 in the world one day. As I said I’m beyond grateful and blessed to be standing here with so many incredible achievements. But one thing is for sure — I feel that I have the power to create my own destiny,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony. “I try to visualise every single thing in my life. Not only believe it, but really feel it with every cell in my body and I just want to send a message out there to every young person."
“Be in the present moment, forget about what happened in the past. [The] future is something that is just going to happen, but if you want a better future, you create it. Take the means in your hands, believe it, create it.”
Sampras, Djokovic's idol, retired at the age of 31 in 2002. His victory at the US Open that year marked his first and only major title after turning 30.
Djokovic "only" has 12 Slam victories on his credit when he turned 30 in May 2017. Stan Wawrinka had won three major titles in three years, Andy Murray was ranked No. 1, Roger Federer was in the midst of a late-career comeback, Rafael Nadal was still competing for major championships, and Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev were on the rise. Djokovic underwent surgery on his right elbow in 2018, which caused him to drop out of the Top 20.
It would not have been absurd to speculate if Djokovic's chances of winning major championships would diminish. However, the Serbian has triumphed in 11 of the 21 Grand Slam competitions he has entered since turning 30.
Djokovic has pursued history with tenacity because he is a man with focus. That is one of his best qualities, according to 11-time major singles champion and largely regarded as one of the all-time great players, Rod Laver.
“It is quite incredible that he’s playing his best tennis at the Grand Slams. I think that’s what makes a champion,” Laver told ATPTour.com. “He just loves the game and I think that’s so important to his game. It’s so great that he loves the game and he loves to compete. That’s what seems to bring out everything in his game.”
Djokovic had a left leg injury during the Adelaide-1 semi-finals this year. Despite the injury, he managed to defeat Daniil Medvedev and beat Sebastian Korda in the championship match by saving a championship point. Djokovic tapped his temple 22 times with his right index finger after winning the trophy.
Only a few weeks later, while still suffering with his ailment, he had the chance to win his 22nd major championship in Melbourne. What did the Serbian do? Lift the Australian Open title!
Djokovic's record on clay courts at the time of the Roland Garros was only 5-3. Carlos Alcaraz, the current world No. 1, as well as players like Medvedev, Holger Rune, and Jannik Sinner, were on the rise. Alcaraz's semi-final victory in the most anticipated match of the year seemed to have the potential to usher in a generational shift similar to how Federer's Wimbledon 2001 victory over Sampras signalled the end of an era.
Instead, Djokovic once more stepped up and forced Alcaraz to falter. The 20-year-old Spaniard cramped early in the third set of their match and never recovered after winning the second set and appearing to gain the upper hand.
Put that down to Djokovic making his opponent work harder physically and mentally than Alcaraz, not to Alcaraz's lack of conditioning. In any sport, you would anticipate that the young, talented upstart will defeat the seasoned veteran. Father Time is unbeatable, but Djokovic is currently reversing the narrative.
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick once famously tweeted about Djokovic: "First he takes your legs, then he takes your soul." The Serbian is increasingly snatching both at once from his opponents in response to pressure.
In the championship game against Ruud, Djokovic revealed his frailty. He struck two overheads horribly in the first set and was uneasy the entire time. But in tie-break situations, he improved to 6-0 at 2023 Roland Garros with a 7/1 victory. In the six tie breaks he participated in at the competition, Djokovic did not commit an unforced error.
Early in the second set, after collecting a service break, Djokovic tapped his temple 25 times. Uncertainty exists around whether he has won so many majors that he has lost track or whether he already has his sights set on 25 Slam trophies.
Djokovic not only broke the Slam record, but he has also elevated his level of dominance. He was one match away from becoming the first male athlete since Rod Laver in 1969 to accomplish the Grand Slam two years ago. He is again halfway there this year.
It is also appropriate that Djokovic did not break the majors record in Melbourne, where he has won 10 titles, but rather in Paris. Due largely to Nadal's domination throughout the years and his 14 victories on clay courts, the clay-court major has long been a white whale for Djokovic. The Serbian not only broke the record; he also did so on a court that has come to be associated with Nadal.
Like many young people, Djokovic saw himself winning a major championship and joining the ranks of sporting superstars. He wasn't rushing, either. How things have changed, though. The Serbian has triumphed in six of the last eight Grand Slam competitions, and he currently leads them all. With an astounding 23 major victories, Djokovic is still going strong.
