Novak Djokovic Finally Captures La Coupe des Mousquetaires by Winning Roland Garros

Roland Garros/French Open

Image courtesy of Yann Caradec's Flickr page - Roland Garros 2008: https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_bretagne_a_paris/2548469251/in/photolist-4Tcz82-6tZnxV-87P6sX-ey7ZS4-4Th8wE-eiptGP-6uaRCZ-87vLZp-86G6Ka-ey9ecr-c7XVQu-nCzATg-eBzLQm-nCAVGe-nWRDSg-nT31do-dGmT28-nCzje4-nCzR2q-nT2Xd5-nV4Xqn-nT2ASf-eZKnLF-6urJ2w-nUM8dD-nCzJ2p-nUWDeU-caonqS-nCzGrQ-nUWRpA-nCzE6t-ewJaxS-ekA48R-nWRBFT-nULZA4-nCAKKF-nUWLLs-9T16gt-nT2zmu-nCALjX-ezweD2-9T15Lr-nULZgB-ewEXSc-nUMjfi-ewJ9fS-6qwFaz-ezzoMd-9LRAp8-ewJ9S1

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Photo courtesy of Yann Caradec's Flickr Page - Novak Djokovic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_bretagne_a_paris/5763317762



Novak Djokovic finally did it!

After three prior trips to the French Open Final that saw him fall short, he finally triumphed earlier today in the one Grand Slam championship that had eluded him. In the process, he now becomes the eighth man in men's tennis history to win the career Grand Slam, and the third active male tennis player to have managed the feat, with the other two being Djokovic's biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.

At 29 years old, Djokovic appears to be well on his way to extending his streak of dominance. He has won the number one ranking in 2011 and 2012, and then retook the top spot in 2014 and 2015. He appears to be well on his way to winning the number one ranking this year as well, after earning his second Gran Slam title just in this calendar year.

Djokovic also managed a unique achievement with this victory, as he currently holds all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously. He is the first man in nearly half a century to hold all four Grand Slam championships at the same time. It is not the calendar Grand Slam, but it is a seminal achievement that has eluded his other main competitors, including Federer, Nadal, and the man he defeated in today's final, Andy Murray. These four men are considered the "big four" of men's tennis, although there have been some fears that their reign of dominance may be coming to an end.

Such fears have proven unfounded thus far, with Djokovic's incredible success in recent years, including this year thus far.

Murray was able to take the first set, but Djokovic ultimately turned it onto another level, winning perhaps the biggest match of his career 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

For his part, Murray sounded rather overjoyed simply to have qualified for the final here at Roland Garros, and this likely bodes well for him in the years to come. Still, today was Djokovic's day to finally shine on the clay courts in Paris.

Finally, he got to hold La Coupe des Mousquetaires.

Also, this is Djokovic's 12th Grand Slam career title, as he continues to pursue the records of 14 won by both Nadal and Pete Sampras, as well as the more distant record of 17 Grand Slam titles won by Federer.

For now, it is hard to imagine the remarkably efficient and successful Djokovic suddenly losing some of that incredible intensity that has seen him now achieve some of the greatest accomplishments in men's tennis history.