With determination in his eyes, Novak Djokovic walked onto the court today to face Casper Ruud in the French Open championship and do what no one has ever done in the game of tennis before. Ruud is a great player and definitely belonged out there but there was just something different about Djokovic β this was his day and no one was going to take it away from him.
With his wife and kids in the stands sitting beside Tom Brady, there was something very different in the air. It could have been the “nanotechnology” patch the GOAT had stuck to his chest that the company that makes them, Tao Technologies, claims, “Nourishes the body with wavelengths of therapeutic light, without side effects or the release of any chemicals.” Any advantage helps when the stakes are at this high of a level but it was more about Djokovic’s mindset as he fought through the match at Roland-Garros to take the French Open for his third time and walk away with his 23rd Grand Slam.
Ruud tried to battle back but was outscored 7-6 in the first set, 6-3 in the second set, and 7-5 in the third set when the crowd came to its feet and cheered for the controversial tennis player who has had some struggles recently. His refusal to take the COVID vaccine kept him from competing in several big tournaments including the Australian Open and U.S. Open last year. In an interview with BBC, he said “I was never against vaccination but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
He stuck to his guns and that had consequences that were detrimental to his career. It’s now all behind him but it’s very possible that his determination to win this year was set by the decisions made against him based on his stance on the vaccination. With so much to prove, his mental game was solid as he looked across the court at Casper on the other side and chiseled away at every game to make his win at the French Open one of the most efficient ever played on those courts.
Roland-Garros tweeted a video of the celebrations with Djokovic’s family and Tom Brady at the end with “Idemo,” which means “Here we go” in English.
Another one of tennis’ great players, Rafael Nadal was gracious to tweet a huge congratulations.
The President of India also tweeted a heartfelt message.
James Melville actually posted a record of Djokovic’s achievements throughout his career, which is quite impressive.
Today, he celebrates with his family and friends because he deserves it. Tomorrow he wakes up to prepare for his next battle because that’s what GOATs like him do to get to where they are.