Rafael Nadal

By Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

Novak Djokovic staged a determined comeback to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for his second championship at Roland Garros and 19th Grand Slam title overall — one away from the men’s record shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“There’s always two voices inside: There is one telling you that you can’t do it, that it’s done, it’s finished. That voice was pretty strong after that second set,” Djokovic said. “So I felt that that was a time for me to actually vocalize the other voice and try to suppress the first one that was saying I can’t make it. I told myself I can do it. Encouraged myself. I strongly started to repeat that inside of my mind, tried to live it with my entire being.”

The inspired comeback capped perhaps the most satisfying major win from the 34-year-old Djokovic, who defeated the near unbeatable 13-time Roland Garros singles champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in one of the most dramatic and well-played matches played in Paris ever.

Djokovic became one of three men, joining Rod Laver and Roy Emerson, to win each major singles title twice. As the reigning champion at the Australian Open and French Open, he heads to Wimbledon, which starts June 28, half way to the calendar-year Grand Slam, hoping to join Laver and Don Budge as the only men with a calendar-year Grand Slam. He also hope to win Olympic gold for the first time in Tokyo following Wimbledon and before the U.S. Open. If he were to win the Grand Slam in New York, it would also mark his 21^st major singles title, eclipsing Federer and Nadal in the all-time lead.

The 34-year-old Djokovic eliminated 13-time French Open champion Nadal, handing Nadal only his third loss in 108 matches at Roland Garros. Djokovic also defeated Nadal in the 2015 quarterfinals before losing that year’s final to Stan Wawrinka. The only other player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, Robin Soderling of Sweden in 2009, also lost in the final (to Federer.) It appeared the same fate awaited Sunday, when the 22-year-old Tsitsipas had the upper hand against a drained Djokovic.

“It was not easy for me,” Djokovic said, “both physically and mentally.”

Djokovic eventually completed his sixth career comeback from two sets down — and second of the past week. Djokovic — who trailed 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti two sets to none in the fourth round — is the first man in the professional era to win a major title after twice facing a 2-0 deficit in sets during the tournament.

Djokovic was steadfast in the final three sets, not facing a break point at any point.

 “Suddenly just felt cold and out of it,” Tsitsipas said. “I felt like I kind of lost my game a little bit.”

This was the first major final for Tsitsipas and the 29th for Djokovic, who also won the 2016 French Open, to go with nine titles at the Australian Open, five at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.

Also key: Djokovic is 35-10 in five-setters — including a men’s-record 32 wins at majors — while Tsitsipas is 5-5.

“Two sets doesn’t really mean anything,” said Tsitsipas, who was trying to become the first Greek to win a major.

Novak Djokovic pulled off one of the most difficult tasks in sports in what has been described as one of the greatest matches ever at Roland Garros, defeating 13-time champion Rafael Nadal 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the French Open semifinals.

Djokovic, the No. 1 seed, handed Nadal only his third loss ever at Roland Garros and ended Nadal’s bid for a 14th championship and a record-breaking 21st major singles title that would set the all-time record. It was the 58th career match-up between the two legends, Djokovic now leading the head-to-head 30-28.

“Just one of these nights and matches that you will remember forever,” said Djokovic, who trailed 2-0 in the fourth set before winning the last six games of the match and 24 of the last 30 points.

“Definitely the best match that I was part of ever in Roland Garros, for me, and (one of the) top-three matches that I ever played in my entire career — considering quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years,” Djokovic said, “and the atmosphere, which was completely electric.”

It was Nadal’s third loss in 108 matches at a tournament he won each of the last four years, including by beating Djokovic in the 2020 final.

Nadal’s first defeat at the French Open came against Robin Soderling in 2009; the next against Djokovic in 2015. Both times, the player who beat Nadal, eventually lost in the French final.

“Each time you step on the court with him,” Djokovic said, “you know that you have to kind of climb Mt. Everest to win against this guy here.”

Djokovic, a 34-year-old from Serbia, faces Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 22-year-old from Greece in the final.

The fifth-seeded Tsitsipas edged sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 earlier Friday to reach his first major final. It’s Djokovic’s 29th as he seeks a second title at the French Open and 19th major championship overall to pull within one of the men’s major mark shared by Nadal and Roger Federer.

The third set alone lasted 1 hour, 33 minutes, and an 11 p.m. nationwide curfew in place because of COVID-19 was approaching. Djokovic’s previous match had been delayed more than 20 minutes while the fans — limited to 5,000 people under coronavirus restrictions — was cleared out of the stadium, but an announcement was made Friday to let everyone know the government agreed to let them stay until the end of the match.

Earlier chants in French of “We won’t leave!” were replaced by choruses of the national anthem and cheers of thanks for President Emmanuel Macron.

Nadal noted afterward that playing in the cooler night air meant balls bounced lower, lessening the effect of his lefty forehand’s heavy topspin.

“That’s more favorable for him, the conditions,” Nadal said. “By the way, doesn’t matter. That’s tennis. The player who (gets) used to the conditions better is the player who (deserves) to win. So no doubt, he deserved to win.”

The intensity was palpable from the outset of the evening, and Nadal zoomed to a 5-0 lead, reminiscent of last year’s final, which he won 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. That was only the fourth shutout set lost by Djokovic in 341 career Grand Slam matches up to that point — and the first in a major final.