Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an incredible French Open men’s final on Sunday afternoon by 6-7 (6-8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
With the win, the world No.1 has claimed hist second Roland Garros title his 19th Grand Slam, taking him just one behind the all-time men’s record, currently shared by both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Tsitsipas on top
The opening game lasted eight minutes, with Tsitsipas taking the lead and holding it for much of the late afternoon. The 22-year-old impressed early on and managed to avoid falling behind the Serb, always leading and then being pulled back onto level term in the early games.
Djokovic, though, suffered a fall and had some problems in the early games, with the Greek flying and giving him a lot of trouble.
Tsitsipas’ reach was particularly impressive, and it even looked as though he was ready to take control of the afternoon and raise questions about a potential end to tennis’ big-three era.
The climb back
The fourth set marked a turning point, though. Things started going the way Djokovic would have wanted them to as the Serb moved up through the gears suddenly, leaving Tsitsipas searching for answers that he couldn’t find.
At 34, the endurance shown by Djokovic was nothing short of phenomenal, and the growth of self-belief was clear to see as he started to find his rhythm.
Around three and a half hours had been played by the time Djokovic got himself ahead for the first time, and despite the Greek playing the better tennis for most of the afternoon, he let his opponent back into the match.
Djokovic got to match point only for Tsitsipas to resist, but the Serb’s second match point was a step too far. The 34-year-old persisted and claimed his second French Open title.
