Novak Djokovic has candidly expressed his past frustrations regarding his repeated failures to clinch the French Open title, despite the progress he felt he was making towards that elusive goal.
By the year 2011, the Serbian sensation had triumphed at every Grand Slam tournament except for the French Open, where he had yet to reach a final. Between 2012 and 2015, Djokovic found himself in three finals, yet the coveted title at Roland Garros remained out of his grasp as he suffered defeats at the hands of Rafael Nadal in both 2012 and 2014, followed by a loss to Stan Wawrinka in 2015.
That all changed in 2016 when Djokovic finally broke through, overcoming Andy Murray in the final to secure his first French Open title and complete a Career Grand Slam.
In a recent interview with his sponsor, HEAD Tennis, the 37-year-old reflected on how achieving his childhood dreams in 2011—winning Wimbledon and ascending to World No. 1—propelled him to seek out what came next. “After I achieved that, I began to think, what’s the next big dream? Winning as many Slams as possible became the goal. Completing all the Slams was a priority, and Roland Garros was the one that had eluded me. After losing in several finals, I felt very frustrated, but each year, I sensed I was inching closer to it,” he shared.
Djokovic recalled the magical moment in 2016, standing before one of his childhood idols, Gustavo ‘Guga’ Kuerten, a three-time Roland Garros champion. He sought Kuerten’s blessing to draw hearts on the clay, a tribute to his inspiration, and once he received it, he embraced it fully. “At that moment, I was holding all four Grand Slam titles consecutively. It was extraordinary,” Djokovic stated.
Since that inaugural victory at Roland Garros, Djokovic has added to his collection with French Open titles in 2021 and 2023, further cementing his legacy in tennis.
Last year, he etched his name in history by setting a new record for the most Grand Slam titles, now boasting an impressive total of 24 Majors, surpassing the legendary Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in this fierce contention for the ages.
