Later in his press conference, Murray was asked if he was disappointed that the spectators were rooting against him. I felt the tension and excitement, all the emotions.
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“Well, a lot has been going on in my mind ever since I arrived in Paris, but I felt like this year when I arrived that it’s really different from any other year. It’s one of the ultimate challenges that you have as a tennis player”, added Djokovic who endured a nervous conclusion to Monday morning’s final. “If we meet on the grass I’ll try to learn from the last few weeks’ matches and see things I could have done better”.
But he failed while even the likes of Djokovic’s biggest contemporary rivals, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal have never yet even held all four majors at the same time, even though they have completed career Grand Slams.
“At the beginning I was not glad to be part of their era”, Djokovic said with a smile after beating second seed Andy Murray in Sunday’s Roland Garros final.
The quality of the tennis in Djokovic vs. Murray was scarcely believable at times. “So he gave me that permission”. After the victory, Djokovic used the end of his racket to etch a big heart in the clay and told the crowd, “My heart will always be with you on this court”.
Djokovic now has 12 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, this his first title at Roland Garros. It was their first Grand Slam title, while the Bryans were denied a record 17th crown.
On Sunday, after winning his first French Open title, he was still behind the Swiss and the Spaniard in terms of major titles but he had achieved something the two have not yet managed – holding all four Grand Slams at the same time.
There came the sunshine right after Djokovic’s title-taking victory after a rare French Open with many rain delays and even a washout in 16 years to mar the two-week long tournament. And again when he skipped from sideline to baseline to receive in the opening game – and, louder still, when Djokovic broke Murray to start. Yet he remains one of the funniest, most upbeat players on tour, and a man who regularly characterizes experiences in terms of how they feed his soul or feelings of being loved. He was able to dictate play with his powerful serve and then easily served out the set at 6-3. Novak Djokovic was greatly irked by the call, claiming that the confusion was something that could cause him to lose his concentration. Murray started fast, with penetrating returns and bullet forehands.
Djokovic, with the Paris crowd loudly on his side for the first time in four final appearances, broke for 2-1in the third set which became 4-1 off a sublime running, backhand, crosscourt drop-shot.
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The Serb saved four break points to go to 5-1 before securing the set against a weary-looking Murray who had spent five hours longer on court than Djokovic and played two five-setters in the opening rounds to get to his first French Open final.
