Novak Djokovic will hold the record for 23 Grand Slam titles if he defeats Casper Ruud in the 2023 Roland Garros final.
*Djokovic - Ruud: 7:30 PM today, June 11th, on VnExpress.
A glorious peak awaits Djokovic on Philippe Chatrier court today. Besides the chance to surpass Rafael Nadal and hold the sole Grand Slam record, Nole will make history as the first male player to win each Grand Slam at least three times. If he triumphs, he will also reclaim the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic saves the ball with a backhand in his victory over Alcaraz in the semi-finals. Photo: FFT
The man tasked with preventing Djokovic from breaking the record is Casper Ruud, the most outstanding product of the Nadal academy. Last year, in his first Grand Slam final, Ruud only won six games in a heavy defeat against the "King of Clay". This year, the 24-year-old has significantly improved in experience and skill. This is his third Grand Slam final appearance, after finishing runner-up at Roland Garros and the US Open last year.
For Djokovic, the opportunity to hold the Grand Slam record alone is hanging over his head for the second time. At the 2021 US Open, Nole lost in the final to Medvedev, when everyone thought he would be the first to reach his 21st Grand Slam title and win all the Grand Slams in a single year. Learning from that disappointing experience, Djokovic didn't put too much pressure on himself in the match against Ruud.
"Hopefully I will play my best tennis," Djokovic shared after defeating top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. "I am very focused. I am very happy to have the opportunity to write history in this sport , but I am only thinking about winning the next match."
Djokovic has won all four of his previous encounters with Ruud without losing a set. But that hasn't dampened the fourth seed's confidence, ahead of the chance to become the first Norwegian to win a Grand Slam. "I want to do better than last year," Ruud said. "Let's see what I've learned from those two final defeats."
Ruud (left) congratulates Djokovic in the semi-finals of the 2022 Rome Masters, as the Serbian player wins his 1000th career match. Photo: AP
Both players progressed impressively through the earlier rounds. Djokovic lost only two sets in six matches at the tournament, becoming the second oldest player in history to reach the Roland Garros final. In his biggest challenge, Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, Nole played brilliantly in the first set before winning decisively in the third and fourth sets thanks to his opponent's cramps. Ruud, meanwhile, improved with each game, easily eliminating two big names, Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev, in the previous two rounds.
Ruud's powerful and precise forehand shots are a highlight of his game. A series of consecutive heavy shots helped the Norwegian dominate Zverev on Friday. He needs to play at a similar, or even higher, level if he wants to beat Nole for the first time. The Serbian is known for his superb defense, but it was Djokovic's diverse attacking style that gave him an early advantage in his match against Alcaraz. The third seed will use his power and accuracy in his shots to test Ruud's abilities today. If necessary, he is also capable of changing the pace with drop shots.
Clay is Ruud's favorite surface. Since 2020, the 24-year-old has been the ATP player with the most wins on this surface, with 87 matches, far ahead of Djokovic (54 matches). Even without being at his best in the early months of this year, Ruud still won his 10th ATP title in Estoril and reached the semi-finals of the clay Masters in Rome.
However, facing Djokovic in a five-set format will be one of the biggest challenges of Ruud's career. The 36-year-old has won 20 consecutive Grand Slam matches and will not be intimidated regardless of how well his younger opponent gets off to a good start.
Ruud has only lost three sets since the start of Roland Garros 2023. Photo: AP
Both will try to ease the pressure by viewing this as a regular match, rather than a Grand Slam final. Ruud says he will put aside emotions and expectations of winning, playing in "automatic" mode. Djokovic, on the other hand, is well-prepared for a long match and will only talk about history if he wins.
Djokovic is the only player to have reached the final of at least seven Grand Slam tournaments. He has already broken numerous records in tennis history. This year's Roland Garros seems to summarize Nole's career over the past few years, as he pursues records he has yet to conquer. At this moment, Ruud is the only one who can stop Djokovic from achieving perfection in the world of tennis.
Nhan Dat
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