It took 4 hours and 11 minutes for Djokovic to win his second French Open crown and his 19th Grand Slam ensured that he is the first man to win a couple of titles in each major championship in the Open Era. He also became the first man in the past half a century to win 4 Grand Slam titles in one calendar year.
Down two sets, Djokovic finally got his act together to down Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in a five-set thriller. The clay-court has been Djokovic’s weakest link and he has triumphed over it. He next heads out to England for Wimbledon, where he will start as the twice-running defending champion.
Djokovic Proves His Mastery Over Every Surface
Djokovic now stands on the cusp of being declared the greatest of all time. His numbers are there to support the argument. He is ahead of his closest rivals Roger Federer (27-23) and Rafael Nadal (30-28). He defeated Nadal in the semi-final a day before.
He also has wins over both in all the Grand Slams, having beaten them both in multiple finals. And this win against Nadal in the semis has ensured that he remains the only player to have beaten the Spaniard twice at the French Open.
His physical endurance and strength were on display again as he powered back from 2 sets down to beat the 22-year-old Greek youngster. There was not much Tsitsipas could have done in this valiant bid for his first Grand Slam title. With this win, Djokovic is just one Grand Slam behind both Federer and Nadal.
He has now set his sights on Wimbledon after this impressive win. This tournament was supposed to move Nadal to the top of the heap with 21 wins. And now only a single grand slam separates three of the greatest players of the open era.