Yeah, that is all we need for a headline. Novak 23. This means that Novak Djokovic is the first male player to reach 23 grand slam titles.

Novak 23

The match as such ended in three sets (7/6 6/3 7/5 to Novak), but they were hardly fought, and hats off to Casper Ruud for making the match a match. I wrote in my prediction about the match that Novak might win in four, as he sometimes has a slow start to a five-set match and I was close to being right. Novak was down 1-4 and Ruud was playing well. He was using that heavy forehand to move Djokovic around and by the looks of it, the match could likely go five sets.

But at 1-4, a click switched in Novak’s game and he started playing with more conviction. Ruud, on the other hand, started wavering a bit in his game and confidence. Novak broke back, had break points at 4-4, but also had to save a few break points of his own on the way to the tie-break.

There is likely no better tie-break player in history than Novak Djokovic. Just look at this stat from the French Open 2023:

This guy simply buckles down and refuses to miss or give away easy points as soon as the stakes get higher. A true champion’s mindset. One key reason Novak is the best tennis player ever is his mental strength. I can’t remember him choking away a victory at one point in his career at least since he started winning slams. Rather the opposite. He has made incredible comebacks to snatch wins from the jaws of defeat.

So if there is a player to emulate when it comes to mental prowess, it is Novak Djokovic. Maybe he can share some of his secrets or methods once he has retired from the sport. But I’m sure there are a few slams left in him. He has raised the bar for what is possible in men’s tennis.

Do you think his GS record will ever be beaten?