Novak Djokovic wins a sixth title in the Paris Tennis Master 1000

In mid-September, the tears of Novak Djokovic had moved the stands of the Arthur-Ashe stadium. The Serbian had seen his dreams of achieving the calendar Grand Slam soar in the final of the US Open, defeated by the Russian Daniil Medvedev.

Sunday, November 7, the cheers of the audience of the Accord Arena, this time, greeted his burst of pride. Because “Nole” took his revenge against his New York executioner – and title holder -, winning in the final of the Master 1000 in Paris: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. His sixth coronation on the Parisian court and a new line to his list of records with a 37e title in this tournament category, one more than the Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

Against some players, we have the feeling that, because we won a few months ago, we can keep this momentum going. But not with Novak “, Medvedev prophesied before the meeting.

“The last time we faced each other he outclassed me. I had outclassed him in the Australian Open final. One-sided matches. For the fans, let’s hope it will be a more exciting game this time around ”, was content to wish Djokovic.

The world number one and his runner-up delivered a performance that lived up to expectations during a meeting interspersed with the claims of the arbitrator Frenchwoman Aurélie Tourte urging spectators to turn off the flashes of their phones or to close the doors so as not to disturb the players.

If it took a little time for the Serbian to settle – he conceded the break from the start of the match – he took advantage of a poor service game from the Russian to pick up at 2-2. But Medvedev quickly regained the advantage to break away 4-3 and complete the first set.

Djokovic managed to raise his level of play in the second set by breaking away 4-1, before leveling with one set everywhere. He maintained his advantage in the final set by pulling off a double break. Medvedev resumed his serve well once, but the Serbian concluded with his first match point, on the Russian’s serve.

Resist the “Next Gen”

For his resumption tournament after almost two months out of the circuit, Djokovic was able to tackle his revenge against the Russian relieved of pressure: that of finishing the season at the top of the world hierarchy. “That’s the main reason I’m here”, affirmed besides the interested party.

The day before, after his semi-final against Hubert Hurkacz, the Serbian had made sure to finish the year in first position in the ATP ranking for the seventh time in his career – 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and therefore 2021 -, dethroning Pete Sampras from this record. The American had achieved it six years in a row between 1993 and 1998.

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After a summer of disillusionment – beyond the defeat at Flushing Meadows, his failure at the foot of the podium at the Tokyo Olympics, when he could claim a golden Grand Slam – we would have almost forgotten the incredible season from Serbian.

In 2021, he thus equaled the twenty Grand Slam titles of his great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and overtook the Swiss in the number of weeks spent in the place of world number one. A season in which he also became the first player of the Open era and the third in history to win at least twice each major tournament.

His new challenge now: to resist the “Next Gen”, of which Daniil Medvedev is undoubtedly the most threatening representative. Sunday, Novak Djokovic managed to widen the gap a little more on the Russian with a record of six wins and four losses in their confrontations.

“I suffered too [dans ce match]… Like in New York ”, slipped Novak Djokovic – speaking like the Russian in French – during the presentation of the trophy, still rejoicing to “The great rivalry” being created between the two players.

The world

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