CNN
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For years, the ‘Huge Three’ of males’s tennis: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – They aspired to grand slams, every offering their very own causes for being topped the best males’s participant of all time.
Now, with Federer retired and Nadal injured, Djokovic has an opportunity to stake his personal declare in that endless debate and win a document twenty third Grand Slam title on Sunday at French Opensurpassing the document presently held by Nadal.
Standing in Djokovic’s method is Casper Ruud, who has reached three of the final 5 Grand Slam finals, together with final 12 months’s last at Roland Garros, the place Nadal was dismantled 6-3 6-3 6-0.
If Djokovic can win on Sunday, he may even return to the highest of the world rankings and turn into the primary males’s participant to win each Grand Slam event at the least thrice. Such stress, nonetheless, is acquainted to the Serbian, he stated after his semi-final victory.
“Historical past is all the time about me, however I am very glad to be on this place to put in writing the historical past of this sport,” he stated, in accordance with the ATP Tour. “I am simply serious about successful the following recreation.
“The stress is all the time on my shoulders, so it is not going to be any totally different. Nevertheless it’s a part of my sport, a part of my life, every thing I do. I feel having stress is a privilege. Nevertheless it’s additionally a supply of motivation. Nice motivation to play properly and get to Sunday.”
![Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230610144325-01-french-open-final-preview-2023-djokovic-restricted.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)
It was a comparatively simple highway to the ultimate for Djokovic as he dropped simply two units: one towards Karen Khachanov within the quarterfinals and one towards No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz within the semifinals.
That match towards Alcaraz had been heralded as a basic, however ultimately, Djokovic cruised to victory after the younger Spaniard suffered cramp early within the third set, with the match finely tuned at one set apiece.
The Serbian has been imperious within the Grand Slams for the previous three years, a loss to Nadal on the French Open final 12 months the one main blemish wherein he has been capable of compete.
However tailing off towards such a dominant participant is a well-recognized place for Ruud as he faces an opponent trying to break or lengthen his document variety of Grand Slam titles for the second straight 12 months.
“Final 12 months it was towards Rafa, this 12 months towards Novak, so what are you able to say? They’re two of the hardest gamers in historical past,” Ruud stated after their semi-final victory, in accordance with The Guardian newspaper. “I’ve to be the underdog like at present, taking part in with out an excessive amount of emotion, simply making an attempt to take pleasure in myself.”
The 24-year-old Norwegian has by no means received a set towards Djokovic, dropping all 4 matches, and that gulf ensures he’ll enter the court docket as an underdog, though he can now draw on the expertise of two earlier Grand Slams. last appearances
![Casper Ruud was beaten by Nadal in last year's French Open final.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230610143056-02-french-open-final-preview-2023-ruud.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)
“It is going to be troublesome, for certain,” Ruud stated, in accordance with the ATP Tour. “He is taking part in for his twenty third. I am taking part in for my first. So I’ll attempt to play with out stress and attempt to benefit from the second.
“I feel that was my mentality final 12 months as properly (towards Nadal), and it did not go my method. Clearly, I might prefer to attempt to do higher than final 12 months. Let’s have a look at if I discovered something from the earlier two (main finals) I performed final 12 months . It is nice to be again.”
Regardless of coming into the event after a combined begin to the season, Ruud discovered his kind, beating a top-10 participant at a Grand Slam for the primary time when he defeated Holger Rune within the quarter-finals and dismantled Alexander Zverev within the semi-finals. .
That semi-final efficiency will encourage Ruud forward of the ultimate as he appears to beat the percentages and declare a primary Grand Slam title.