Relentless. That is what Novak Djokovic is on the court. With steely eyes and immaculate depth in his shots, Djokovic is one of the best players ever seen on the tour. Playing in an era of greats he has made this era his own. The Serb has a staggering 15 Grand Slams to his name and is the current Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open champion. By the time he finishes, he might be the greatest of them all. On his 32nd birthday, here’s counting down his three best performances at the French Open.
3. 2012 Quarterfinals: Djokovic defeats Tsonga 6-1 5-7 5-7 7-6 6-1
This match was a tale of two parts. The first and fifth sets showed why Novak Djokovic is so good. The other three sets illustrated the immense talent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga brings to the court. When Djokovic took the first set, Tsonga looked out of sorts–but he dug in and took a two sets to one lead. In the fourth set, he had four match points, but Djokovic rose to the occasion and saved them all. Having clinched the fourth set in a tiebreak 8-6, the Serbian regained the momentum and ran away with the decider. It wasn’t Djokovic’s best match, but it ranks among the best considering the fight he showed. He weathered a partisan Parisian crowd and elevated his game when it mattered the most.
2. 2015 Quarterfinals: Djokovic defeats Nadal 7-5 6-3 6-1
Only two men have beaten Rafael Nadal at the French Open. Novak Djokovic is one of them. Given Nadal’s legacy in Paris, beating him in straight sets would be one of the career-high milestones for Djokovic. The Serb raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set only to see Nadal win the next four games to make it 4-4. With an evenly poised match, Djokovic played the important moments better and took a tight first set 7-5. The next two sets showcased an imperious Djokovic changing directions seamlessly and varying the speed on his shots to give Nadal no room to settle in the match. In the end, this match shouldn’t be remembered for Nadal’s lack of form, but rather for a man at the peak of his prowess.
1. 2016 Final: Djokovic defeats Murray 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4
This match takes the number one spot solely on the significance it holds in tennis history and in Djokovic’s career. He was 0-3 in French Open finals coming into 2016. so when Andy Murray took the first set 6-3 it looked like Djokovic was in the crosshairs again. Murray had beaten the Serbian in Rome that year and seemed to be doing it again. What we witnessed next was nothing short of extraordinary. Djokovic raised his game to heights Murray just couldn’t match. He raced away with the next two sets and closed it out in the fourth. An emotional Djokovic fell to the ground with a satisfactory feeling of achieving everything. The sun wasn’t shining on court Philippe Chatrier that day during the match, but it sure came out to show its appreciation after Djokovic won it. This sweet victory meant Djokovic became the first player since Rod Laver to hold all four Majors at the same time. Personally, he completed his career Grand Slam, an achievement matched by only the best to ever play the game.
Main Photo from Getty
