French Open final LIVE: Novak Djokovic makes tennis history with record-breaking grand slam win
Djokovic becomes the first man to reach 23 grand slam titles after beating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the Roland Garros final
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter
Novak Djokovic has made tennis history by winning a men’s record 23rd grand slam title after beating Casper Ruud in the French Open final at Roland Garros.
Djokovic defeated Ruud 7-6 6-3 7-5 to win his third French Open crown and move ahead of his great rival Rafael Nadal to take the outright lead in the men’s grand slam race for the first time. The victory moves the 36-year-old Serbian level with Serena Williams on 23 major titles, one short of Margaret Court’s overall record of 24.
Djokovic also becomes the oldest ever French Open champion at 36 and is now halfway to completing the calendar grand slam - a feat not achieved in men’s tennis since Rod Laver won all four majors in a single year in 1969. Djokovic will head to Wimbledon next month looking to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight singles titles at the All England Club.
Follow live reaction from the French Open final below after Djokovic made history at Roland Garros.
French Open LIVE: Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud - results so far
1st round: 6-4 6-3 6-2 vs Mikael Ymer (Q)
2nd round: 6-3 6-2 4-6 7-5 vs Giulio Zeppieri
3rd round: 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-4 vs Zhang Zhizhen
4th round: 7-6 7-5 7-5 vs Nicolas Jarry
Quarters: 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 vs Holger Rune (6)
Semis: 6-3 6-4 6-0 vs Alexander Zverev (22)
French Open LIVE: Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud
Novak Djokovic - results so far
1st round: 6-3 6-2 7-6 vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
2nd round: 7-6 6-0 6-0 vs Marton Fucsovics
3rd round: 7-6 7-6 6-2 vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (29)
4th round: 6-3 6-2 6-2 vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Quarters: 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-4 vs Karen Khachanov (11)
Semis: 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 vs Carlos Alcaraz (1)
What time is Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud?
The French Open men’s final is slated to start from 2:30pm BST (UK time) on Sunday 11 June.
It’s a slightly later time than the women’s final, which started at 2:00pm.
How to watch the French Open 2023
You can watch the French Open live on Eurosport in the UK. The action will be broadcast on Eurosport’s TV channels, or fans can tune into Discovery+ to stream the tournament, where an Entertainment & Sport pass is available for either £6.99/month or £59.99/year.
Watch every moment of Roland-Garros LIVE and exclusive on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App
Good morning
It’s a big day. Novak Djokovic can make tennis history in the French Open final as the Serbian takes on Casper Ruud at Roland Garros.
Djokovic is a win away from breaking the men’s grand slam record and will become the first man to reach 23 major titles if he beats the fourth seed Ruud. The Norwegian was the runner-up in last year’s Roland Garros final as Rafael Nadal won his 22nd grand slam but Djokovic moved level with victories at Wimbledon and the Australian Open and can now go ahead of his great rival for the first time with a third French Open crown.
Djokovic, who is also bidding to become the oldest ever French Open champion at 36, defeated world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals after the young Spaniard was hit by cramps at the start of the third set. He has won all four previous meetings against Ruud, who has found impressive form once again on the Paris clay after defeating Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev to reach his third grand slam final.
Can Djokovic take the record? Follow live updates from the French Open final throughout the day in our live blog.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies