Novak Djokovic wins French Open final for record 23rd Grand Slam title

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic won Sunday's French Open final to break a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men's tennis. 

With his 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, Djokovic also moves three in front of the retired Swiss Roger Federer. 

He leapt into history with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory in the final over Norway's Casper Ruud that really was not in doubt for most of its three hours, 13 minutes.

Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, puts the 2023 clay court crown alongside the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major event. He has won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the US Open.

Also worth noting: Djokovic is again halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam — winning all four majors in one season — something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close to pulling off that feat in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon and made it all the way to the title match at the U.S. Open before losing to Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic will resume that pursuit at Wimbledon, which begins on the grass of the All England Club on July 3.

He has now clutched the trophy at 11 of the last 20 Slams, a remarkable run made even more so when considering that he did not participate in two majors during that span because he did not get vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic was deported from Australia in January 2021 before the Australian Open, and he was not allowed to fly to the United States ahead of last year's U.S. Open under a rule that since has been lifted.

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