Novak Djokovic Creates History, Completes Career Slam at French Open
Novak Djokovic's ability to thrive amongst the greats was never in doubt, but the size of his heart certainly was. At Wimbledon in 2007, he retired with a back injury in the third set of his semi-final against Nadal.
Novak Djokovic also quit at the 2006 and 2007 French Opens at the third round and quarter-final stages respectively, while at the 2009 Australian Open, where he was defending champion, he pulled out of his quarter-final with Andy Roddick citing heat exhaustion.
Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the longest Grand Slam final of all time, a draining 5hr 53min marathon at the 2012 Australian Open and nobody was questioning his stamina anymore
Novak Djokovic captured the first of his 12 majors in Melbourne in 2008, but it was three years before he added his second.
Back-to-back Australian Opens followed in 2012 and 2013 although the French Open remained frustratingly out of reach with three heart-breaking losses until Sunday's breakthrough.
Novak Djokovic now holds 6 Australian Open titles, 3 at Wimbledon and 2 at the US Open to add to his Paris trophy.
12 Wins of Novak Djokovic
- Australian Open in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016
- Wimbledon in 2011, 2014 and 2015
- US Open in 2011 and 2015
- French Open in 2016
Novak Djokovic became just the 8th man -- and second oldest -- to complete the career Grand Slam after -
- Andre Agassi
- Don Budge
- Roy Emerson
- Roger Federer
- Rod Laver
- Rafael Nadal and
- Fred Perry.
Rafael Nadal's 14 is his next target.
Novak Djokovic is now just 5 majors behind Roger Federer's record of 17 but is the best part of six years younger than the Swiss whose last Slam came at Wimbledon in 2012.
When Novak Djokovic won the first of his 12 majors, at the 2008 Australian Open, a 22-year-old Rafael Nadal had already won three Roland Garros titles and Roger Federer, then 26, had claimed 12 of his record 17 grand slams.
Novak Djokovic is now also halfway to a calendar Grand Slam, a feat only achieved by two men, Don Budge and Rod Laver, the last of which was in 1969.
Novak Djokovic won his first Roland Garros title to complete the career Grand Slam beating Andy Murray on Sunday June 05,2016 and become only the third man after Don Budge and Rod Laver to hold all four majors at the same time. However, his 12th Paris campaign could have ended in disqualification when his racquet almost hit a line-judge in the face during his quarter-final. Thankfully for the Serb, the official leapt out of the way just in time. The world number one also became the first man to pass the $100 million prize money mark
Novak Djokovic lauded Sunday's French Open final victory over Andy Murray as "the biggest moment" of his career after the Serb became just the third man to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic rallied from losing the opening set to down Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 and join Don Budge and Rod Laver as the only players to simultaneously possess the French Open, Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon trophies
Andy Murray suffered an eighth major final defeat in 10 appearances, five of which have been inflicted by Djokovic.Andy Murray, the world number two and the first British man in the final in Paris since Bunny Austin in 1937, remains with two Grand Slam titles as he failed to become the first winner of the French Open since Fred Perry 81 years ago.
Novak Djokovic also has 65 titles to his name while 2016 has seen him defeated just three times in 47 matches.
"I'm honoured to be a part of the legends of our sport and to manage to win this many Grand Slam trophies," said Novak Djokovic, who started playing tennis when he was four-years-old before leaving for Germany when he was 12 to escape NATO bombs which were blasting Belgrade
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