It took Novak Djokovic just over three hours to take home his 23rd Grand Slam. The Serbian won his third Roland Garros by defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud in three sets (7-6, 6-3, 7-5) at the Philippe Chatrier. With this victory, he regains the number one ATP ranking. He also surpasses Rafael Nadal (22) as the player with the most Grand Slams and extends his lead over Roger Federer (20), who retired from professional tennis in 2022.
Even so, he is still far from being the most successful tennis player in history, a status held by Jimmy Connors after winning 109 ATP titles during his career. Djokovic, 36, is 15 wins away from surpassing the former American athlete, so it would not be unreasonable to think that Djokovic could pass him if he continues to bring his best to the court, which he has done so far. His competitive gene has also helped him reach the top of world tennis.
He has no trouble admitting that his career isn't over yet. "This road is not over yet. I feel like, if I'm winning Grand Slams, why think about ending a career that's been going on for 20 years? I am still motivated, I feel inspired to play the best tennis in these tournaments, in the Grand Slams. They are the ones that count the most in the history of our sport. I'm looking forward to Wimbledon," he said at the press conference following his victory at Roland Garros. He does, however, admit that he does not feel he is the best tennis player in history:
I don't want to say that I am the greatest, because I feel that it's disrespectful towards all the great champions from different eras of our sport played in a completely different way than is played today. I believe that every great champion of his own generation has left a mark, a legacy and paved the way for us to play this sport on a great stage worldwide. Therefore, I leave this type of debate for others.
Male tennis player with the highest number of Grand Slams
In the men's division, there is no tennis player with a greater number of Grand Slams than Djokovic. In women's tennis, Margaret Court has won 24 titles during her professional career and Serena Williams has 23, the same as the Serbian.
Djokovic's 23 Grand Slams are made up of ten Australian Opens (He is the male tennis player with the most titles), seven Wimbledon, three U.S. Opens and now three Roland Garros.
After his victory in Paris, Djokovic said, "I said at the beginning of the season that Grand Slams are the biggest priorities not only for this season but in any season, especially at this stage of my career. If someone told me that I would win the first two Grand Slams of the year, I would have signed it immediately, I have a lot of faith, confidence and believe in myself, in who I am and what I am capable of doing. This trophy is obviously another confirmation of the quality of tennis I can still produce."
