Novak Djokovic captures the French Open and a 23rd Grand Slam title

Novak Djokovic reached the top of the tennis mountain on Sunday, dominating Casper Ruud in straight sets to win the French Open men’s singles title for the third time and more.

With the most memorable championship of his remarkable career to date, Djokovic has laid claim to the greatest male tennis player in history, with a record 23 Grand Slam tournament titles.

Djokovic defeated Rudd 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5. On his second match point, Djokovic forced Ruud to a final forehand off the field and collapsed onto his back. He then knelt in prayer in the middle of the field and walked to the stands to hug his family and his coaches.

Tournament after tournament, Djokovic has spent most of the past two decades chasing his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the two other giants who defined this era of modern tennis. That race is over, at least for now.

Djokovic, 36, surpassed the retired Federer last summer, on Wimbledon’s Center Court on the grass Federer ruled for so long, when he won his 21st Grand Slam singles title. In January at the Australian Open, Djokovic won again. That 22nd title tied Nadal, who missed this year’s French Open with an injury.

On Sunday, with a horde of fans waving Serbian flags and chanting his name and a cast of stars in attendance for the occasion, he won again, this time for the record books.

Retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady sat next to Jelena, Djokovic’s wife. French soccer star Kylian Mbappé and Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic sat a few rows above the pitch. American actor Jake Gyllenhaal, tennis icon Stan Smith and many French actors, singers, businessmen and athletes were also in the stands.

Djokovic did it on the red clay of the Philippe Chatrier field during the French Open, which Nadal won no less than 14 times. A silver statue of the Spanish champion hovering his forehand is only hundreds of meters away.