It’s still not game, set, match for Djokovic
Philippe Chatrier court in Paris was #JeSuisNole.
So partisan was the French crowd that you would be forgiven for mistaking that the second grand slam was happening in Serbia, Novak Djokovic’s homeland. But you also understand why the gathered audience was Team Novak.
On three occasions, they had seen one of the legends of the sport fail on the final hurdle. Perhaps Djokovic’s emotional runner-up speech from last year was still strong in their mind; perhaps they had fallen for Nole’s charm offensive for two weeks – his celebration with the ball kids after every match was especially cute – and perhaps they felt that this was it, his last chance with Nadal retiring from a wrist injury and Federer not competing.
Djokovic leapt on the opportunity though something tells us that he can win more French Open titles. The world number one had beaten all odds including Mother Nature wreaking havoc on the tournament to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy. The victory was sweetened because for once the player, so accustomed to being sidelined for Federer and Rafa, had the crowd on his side. Djokovic’s moment had come. At 29, he had finally won the title that everybody had expected him to win, for so long, that he could seal his place in the pantheon of all-time tennis greats.
What makes Djokovic’s feat even greater is that he has broken a series of records by winning his first French Open.
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| After all, legends are not born every day. |
Here’s a glimpse of a few key ones:
1. He became the first man since 1969, Rod Laver being the last, and only the third man to win four slams in a row. Yes, the last time Djokovic lost was to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open 2015 final.
2. He completed the Career Slam – winning all four grand slams – and became only the eighth player to do so.
3. He became the first player in 24 years – last one being Jim Courier – to win the first two legs of the calendar Grand Slam.
4. It is his 12th career Slam, putting him in joint fourth place on the all-time list with Roy Emerson. He is still five behind Federer but only two away from Pete Sampras, who it must be noted never won the French Open, and injury-prone Nadal.
It would be interesting to see Djokovic the player post the tournament. Having finally won the elusive Roland Garros in his 12th attempt no less, will he be a relieved man? Will he step off the gear and relax a little and thereby let his iron-like grip on the sport loosen a bit? Or will this accomplishment see him now play without a burden on his shoulders? Will it give him more confidence that will enable him to raise his game even more?
It’s hard to predict.
It’s still not game, set, match for Djokovic. Unlike his biggest rivals Federer, Nadal and Murray, he still doesn’t have an Olympic gold medal. With the French Open done and dusted, he’d be keen to add that one medal that’s coveted by all.
But then such are the lofty standards set for Djokovic that he isn’t only expected to win big in August but also defend his Wimbledon and US Open titles and, therefore, win the golden slam – a feat never accomplished in men’s game, with only the stellar Steffi Graf having done so in 1988.
If Djokovic somehow does manage to do the ridiculous that is win Wimbledon next month and the US Open in September, then he will be only the third man in the history to do so, after Don Budge and Rod Laver.
The cloak of invincibility and excellence that Djokovic has around him will one day fade, for all great things come to an end. But as Murray stated in his gracious runner-up speech on a sunny Sunday that all of us should enjoy Djokovic at his peak, be proud to be living in the same era as him as Lionel Messi, as Stephen Curry.
After all, legends are not born every day.