Novak Djokovic seized his second French Open title.
On Sunday, he recovered from being outplayed for two sets by Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.
His seismic semi-final win over 13-times champion Rafa Nadal seemed to have gone in vain. This is because an inspired Tsitsipas won the first two sets to stand on the edge of becoming Greece’s first Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic failed to change a set point in an engrossing 72-minute opener full of fierce rallies. Then he disintegrated in the second set and looked drained out.
His hopes of winning the 19th Grand Slam title looked dreary. Still, he revived his game in the nick of time and turned the match upside down.
The 34-year-old player won his first French crown in 2016. He was anxious through the third and fourth sets as Tsitsipas, played his maiden Grand Slam final and lost his intensity.
Fifth seed Tsitsipas bravely tried to dig in at the start of the fifth set as the shadows spread across a sunlit Court Philippe Chatrier.
But, with a lot of dampness on the red clay in the previous week, Djokovic remained persistent.
There were nerves as he served at 5-4, netting an easy volley and then seeing a Tsitsipas backhand flash by him on championship point. But Djokovic knocked off a volley to end the match after four hours and 11 minutes.
Just after Nadal and Roger Federer, Djokovic became the first player in the professional era to win each Grand Slam title at least twice.
“It was again an electric atmosphere. Nine hours of tennis in less than 48 hours,” Djokovic said on court.
“It’s not easy; physically and mentally it was very, very difficult for me, these three days. I believed in my capacities and in my game. It’s a dream come true.”
Tsitsipas, 22, looked lost as he collapsed in his chair. “It was a big fight out there, I tried my best and did as much as I could,” he said.
Djokovic really earned his 19th Grand Slam title the hard way, there is no denying it.
He also won the Australian Open this year and is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam.
