Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov, November 5, 2023, in Paris. MICHEL EULER / AP
Novak Djokovic plays golf at the Ryder Cup. Novak Djokovic makes his rugby debut during the World Cup final. Novak Djokovic shakes Lionel Messi’s pincers during the Ballon d’Or award. After a month and a half break since his twenty-fourth Grand Slam title won at the US Open, the Serbian said to himself that the vacation had lasted long enough and that it was time for him to get back to work.
He (re)came to Bercy, everyone saw him and he won. Sunday November 5, the world number 1 raised his seventh “Fanti tree”, almost in the middle of the dead leaves, the name of the bronze trophy awarded to the winner. For his sixth final in a row on the banks of the Seine, he did not need to be brilliant against Grigor Dimitrov, shortening the Bulgarian’s ordeal in 1 hour 38 minutes (6-4, 6-3).
The 15,000 spectators at the center court did not recognize the artist, who enchanted the Parisian tournament throughout the week, demonstrating that beauty is not necessarily the enemy of good. Dimitrov had until now indeed delighted in sprinkling his matches with deliciously crafted slices, half-volley backhand passings, backhand smashes and other spectacular tweeners (shots between the legs). On Sunday, his entire range remained in the closet, apart from a few one-handed backhands.
A virus, its “biggest adversary this week”
With his head buried under his towel, the 17th player in the world had to be consoled by his tormentor to put an end to his sobs. “I don’t know what to say, words fail me”, he articulated with difficulty when congratulating his opponent for the 97th title of his career, the fortieth in Masters 1000. The last (and only) time that Dimitrov won against him, Djokovic had only six Grand Slam tournaments on the clock. Since then, the circuit boss has added eighteen to his collection.
“Paris is a city with a lot of traditions, a tennis culture. Afterwards, the relationship with the public was, we can say… special, but thank you all the same,” he said, with a sly eye, to the crowd when receiving his trophy from the hands of another “heavyweight”, Teddy Riner. All week, with his index finger behind his ear, the Serb provoked the audience who whistled at him profusely. But an angry Djokovic is a Djokovic well on his way to winning.
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In the capital, the owner of the place himself recognized it: almost “without ever approaching his best level”, he disgusted the entire locker room. Even a virus – intestinal – will not have got the better of him, the vaccine-resistant person. “My biggest opponent this week”, he said on Sunday evening, (unintentionally?) insulting his opponents.
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