World number one, Novak Djokovic clinches 19th Grand slam win with French Open victory
Novak Djokovic has won his 19th major victory with this Roland Garros, hence closing the distance between himself and 'Big Three' rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
On Sunday, World number 1 Novak Djokovic triumphed over Stefanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling French Open final to win his 19th Grand Slam championship and became the first player in 52 years to win all four majors twice.
The match which lasted for over four hours between the Serb and the Greek, with Djokovic beating Tsitsipas 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Djokovic came back from a two-set deficit to defeat the 22-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas after struggling for four hours and eleven minutes, the same time he took to overcome 13-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals less than 48 hours earlier.
The clay court Grand Slam has proven to be the most challenging for Djokovic to win, with his triumph at Roland Garros on Sunday being his second, and he now goes to Wimbledon, where he is the two-time reigning champion.
Tsitsipas praised Djokovic as a great champion after his first Slam final appearance ended being anti-climactic after he led for the opening two sets.
The 22-year-old in his press conference said, “I tried my best. “He further added, "I am inspired by the things he has achieved, and I hope one day I can maybe do half of what he has done so far."
Djokovic acknowledged that he could duplicate Rod Laver's feat of winning all four singles championships in 1969, and that he could even complete a "Golden Slam" by winning the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.
He acknowledged, "I have played almost nine hours over the last 48 hours against two great champions, it was really tough physically over the last three days, but I trusted in my capabilities and knew I could do it."
Novak Djokovic has won his 19th major victory with this Roland Garros, hence closing the distance between himself and 'Big Three' rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Sports News on The National Bulletin