Novak Djokovic surpassed Nadal to become the player with the most Grand Slams in tennis history after defeating Casper Ruud 3-0 in the 2023 Roland Garros final.
In the first set, Casper Ruud served first. He started well, winning a break point to lead 3-0. At this point, Djokovic started to get into the rhythm of the match. He forced his opponent into long-lasting rallies, which is the forte of the Serbian. He won the service games, and also regained the break in the 7th game.
Djokovic started the first set poorly but still took his opponent into a tie-break.
The first set had to be decided by a tie-break. Here Djokovic won 3 mini breaks to end the set with a 7-1 victory in the tie-break. This set lasted 89 minutes.
In set 2, the scenario was quite similar but in the opposite direction. Djokovic led 3-0 by breaking his opponent's serve. But unlike set 1, Casper Ruud did not have the chance to break back to reclaim the tie-break. He quickly accepted defeat 3-6. This was a set in which Djokovic continuously won winners and ended the set at the 15th winner.
In set 3, Casper Ruud had to win. Both sides maintained a stable performance and continuously won games. The turning point came when the score was 5-5. Ruud's decline caused him to be broken by Djokovic. In the serve game, Djokovic quickly led 40-0 to get 3 Championship points. The 36-year-old player only lost 1 point before Ruud hit the ball out, bringing a 7-5 victory in set 3.
Djokovic lay on the court celebrating after Ruud missed the second Championship point.
Djokovic won 3-0 in the final. Not only is he the first man to win 23 Grand Slams, he is also the only man to win at least three titles at all four Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open). He also took the No. 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP rankings, which will be released on Monday.
According to VTC News