Novak Djokovic Stands One Step From History
Roland Garros
June 9, 2023
Novak Djokovic is one match from immortality.
He has to win the Roland Garros final to claim his 23rd Grand Slam title – and move ahead of the wonderful Rafael Nadal.
That will make Djokovic the undisputed greatest male player of all time.
Only Serena Williams will then match him in the modern era on 23 Slams. Margaret Court won 24 majors in an easier era.
Novak Djokovic will want to win Wimbledon 2023 to go ahead of Serena and equal Court.
That’s if he wins the French Open on Sunday, of course,
The Serb beat an injured Carlos Alcaraz in a disappointing end to their semi-final.
The match was delicately poised at 1-1 in the third and one set apiece.
Then Alcaraz pulled up with cramp or a calf strain, it wasn’t clear. He had to forfeit a game just to get immediate treatment. And the match quickly slipped away.
Novak pumped his fist as he triumphed 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. By then the young Spaniard’s resistance had all but crumbled.
It’s worth remembering that Novak Djokovic is 36 years old. And if he wins the final, he will replace 20-year-old Alcaraz as world number one.
That in itself is an extraordinary achievement.
Alcaraz is a wonderful player, but he doesn’t have Novak’s mental strength just yet. He looked tense from the start – and that may have contributed to his injury problem.
Novak started strongly and served superbly. Carlitos did hit back to edge a magnificent second set.
We could have been in for a truly memorable encounter. But the younger man’s body broke down.
And we have to salute the way Djokovic prepares physically for each match – and his ability to place flexibility at the top of his athletic priorities.
Add the poise and ruthlessness of a true champion, and you have the consummate professional.
Djokovic said later: ‘First and foremost I have to say tough luck to Carlos. The last thing you want is an injury problem at a late stage of a Grand Slam.
‘I hope he will come back soon and he will win this tournament many times. Congratulations to him for his fighting spirit.
‘I think we were at our physical limit at the end of the second set and I wasn’t feeling fresh at all. Now I have one more match to play. It’s a dream to be in this situation.’
The greatest ever? Probably.
Come and see Novak Djokovic try to win Wimbledon 2023. He may beat Serena’s Grand Slam tally along the way.
You will be watching one of the greatest sportsmen of all time – and surely the finest tennis player who ever lived.