The storied Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros, often considered Rafael Nadal’s second home, has witnessed the Spanish tennis legend clinch an astounding 14 French Open men’s singles titles and boast a record of 112-3. A silver statue of Nadal adorns the prestigious venue, making it the perfect backdrop for Novak Djokovic to potentially secure a career-defining 23rd Grand Slam singles title on Sunday, surpassing Nadal himself where he has reigned supreme.
At 36 years old, Serbian champion Djokovic enters the final as a heavy favorite against Norway’s Casper Ruud. A victory for Djokovic would be akin to dethroning Nadal on his home turf. “There is history on the line,” Djokovic said after his four-set triumph over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. “I like the feeling.”
Ruud, who dispatched Alexander Zverev with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win, has reached three of the last five Grand Slam finals without clinching a title. With no sets won against Djokovic in their four head-to-head encounters, Ruud’s chances of denying Djokovic’s historic achievement appear slim.
For the past 15 years, Djokovic has disrupted the status quo, transforming the binary rivalry between Nadal and Roger Federer into a three-way battle for tennis supremacy. A win on Sunday would make Djokovic the only player among the trio to hold at least three singles championships at each Grand Slam event.
Two years ago, Djokovic became the only man to defeat Nadal twice at the French Open. Although Federer’s fans have long upheld their idol’s status as the king of Centre Court at Wimbledon, Djokovic, who won his seventh Wimbledon singles championship last year, is poised to challenge that notion at the All England Club next month.
In a clash of generations, Djokovic faced 20-year-old Spaniard and top seed Alcaraz on Friday afternoon at Roland Garros. The match was expected to be a potential torch-passing moment for the sport. However, Djokovic emerged victorious, defeating Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a battle that showcased wisdom and experience prevailing over youth and raw talent.
With Alcaraz eliminated and few expecting Ruud to pose a tougher challenge, the pressure now falls squarely on Djokovic, who will be playing in his 34th Grand Slam singles final on Sunday. Nadal was expected to be his opponent, but withdrew from the tournament due to hip and leg injuries.
Djokovic, however, appears to thrive under pressure. “I’m very happy to be in this position to write history of this sport, but I’m just thinking about winning the next match,” he said. And more often than not, he does just that.
