Djokovic, today’s final with morbidity against Ruud and Nadal’s historical record

Novak Djokovic he continues to move safely and carefully through Paris at the same time. He played five rounds with a double look. A shorter one measures what he needs each day and the other focuses on the semifinal match, which he has been competing since he arrived in the French capital, knowing that the deadline is in the semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz. It was an early finals, he won.

Although everything indicates that ‘Nole’ will lift his third Musketeers Cup this Sunday (3:00 pm), like in 2016 and 2021, in his twelfth final, the experience of his 36 years and traumatic experiences, such as his defeat against Stan Wawrinka in the same scenario, in 2015, or against Daniel Medvedev in the 2021 US Open, they make him restrain himself, avoid any mistakes, a deceptive euphoria.

The situation is perfect. He has a rival in front of him, the Norwegian Casper Ruud, who will repeat in the final one edition later but which he has already defeated four times. He has experienced this situation many times, this is his 34th Grand Slam final. “The pressure is always on my shoulders, and this time it’s no different. But it’s part of this sport and part of life. And yes, experience is in my favor, but does he win games? No I think so,” he said. Djokovic. “It helps me manage my emotions, I have experienced these emotions many times.”

In some passes he suffered the vertigo of history, when he had records of Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Many seasons of persecution, this afternoon he can lead the list of most first-time winners. Tied on 22 with the Spaniard, the Swiss stopped at 20. The 23rd will give him command, to pursue an eighth Wimbledon and return to the US Open. Meanwhile, Nadal has been nursing his hip for at least five months.

“My concern is to recover well, be ready for another long fight. After the final, if I win, let’s talk about history,” stressed Djokovic.

He opened the season with a vengeance in Australia, extending his record to ten crowns in the country where he held for a few days before finally being deported. He disappeared from the ground tour before Roland Garros. A stumbling block against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in Monte Carlo, protecting his sore right elbow, a loss to his countrymen dusan lajovic in Banja Luka and beaten by the Danish Holger Rune in Rome, where he defended the hegemony.

Choose a ‘big’ goal. “I put myself again in a perfect position to win a Grand Slam. That’s what really drives me when I wake up in the morning and think about the season and the things I want to achieve.”

neither Ruud, Unlike the previous campaign, he excelled in his favorite terrain. His Estoril title was the exception to a gray tour. But the draw took him to the more affordable side of the draw, where he dealt more with the immature Holger Rune and the still-unrecovered Alexander Zverev, and returned to the final. He knew the way, he took advantage of it.

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Another issue is the final day, preferred because if in 2022 he collided with Rafa Nadal, now he has Novak Djokovic in front of him. “I hope the third one is the good one,” Ruud sighed, including the one he lost Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. “I will not be the favorite now either. I will try to take advantage of this to play more relaxed, smiling as much as possible. But I know it will be difficult”, he ends up acknowledging.

Member of the players group of Rafael Nadal Academy, he can help his admired manacorí who is thinking of a bid to be the best in history. Although the background, because of the background of the Grand Slam and the eight sets won the four previous rivalries between them, and the level of one and one invites us to think that the final is in the hands of Djokovic. It’s up to him. Except for the accident.