Tennis’ French Open is like the Oscars but with more grunting and less red carpet. This year, Roland Garros clay courts were graced by two titans of the tennis world, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, who served up some record-breaking performances. Let’s explore the trivia behind these historic wins!
1. Djokovic’s Triple Crown and the Grand Slam Record
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis maestro, clinched his third French Open title, defeating Casper Ruud, playing in his third Grand Slam final in 13 months. Djokovic’s French Open win is his third, with previous victories in 2016 and 2021. Talk about a hat trick!
2. The Unstoppable Djokovic Express
Djokovic’s victory marked his 23rd Grand Slam singles title, setting an all-time record in men’s tennis. He’s now surpassed Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles record and is the oldest champion in Paris, breaking Nadal’s record. It’s like he’s playing a game of “anything you can do, I can do better” with Nadal!
3. The Grand Slam Trifecta
Djokovic is now the only man to win each of the four majors – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open – at least three times.
4. Djokovic’s Record-Breaking Run
Djokovic also holds the record for Masters 1000 titles. He’s now level with women’s tennis superstar Serena Williams with 23 major titles. He’s just one behind Margaret Court, who has 24. At this rate, he might just end up with more records than a vintage vinyl shop!
5. Swiatek: The Queen of Clay
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek from Poland won the French Open women’s singles championship, defeating Karolina Muchova. This victory marked Swiatek’s third French Open title and fourth Grand Slam title overall, solidifying her status as world No. 1. She’s just the third woman in the Open era to win her first four Slam finals, joining Monica Seles and Naomi Osaka.
6. Swiatek’s Unbeatable Streak
Swiatek has been virtually unbeatable at Roland Garros since 2020. With this win, she captured her third French Open singles title in four years. She’s so skilled on clay she could probably win a match while sculpting a clay pot on a pottery wheel!
News Trivia Quiz Time
Now that you know all the facts about the 2023 French Open records, how about a news quiz?
Sources
We cross-checked our 2023 French Open facts with the world’s leading sports news providers. Here are some of the articles we read for this post.
- AP News: Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Casper Ruud in the French Open final
- CNN: 2023 French Open: Iga Świątek wins second successive title wth thrilling victory over Karolína Muchová
- CNN: Novak Djokovic wins record-breaking 23rd grand slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in French Open final
- ATP Tour: Djokovic Wins Roland Garros For Historic 23rd Major Title
- ESPN: How Iga Swiatek won her third French Open title
- ESPN: How Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam — and a slice of history
- The New York Times: Swiatek Overcomes Muchova to Win Another French Open
- The New York Times: Novak Djokovic Captures the 2023 French Open and a 23rd Grand Slam Title
- Reuters: Grand Slam King Djokovic wins 23rd crown by conquering Ruud at French Open
