Having ended Rafael Nadal's reign at French Open, world number one Novak Djokovic face future great Stefanos Tsitsipas in the men's singles final of French Open 2021 at Roland Garros. (More Tennis News)
In the semis, fifth seed Tsitsipas defeated Alexander Zverev in three hours and 37 minutes, winning 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3. For Djokovic, it was another classic. He defeated Nadal in four hours and 22 minutes for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 scoreline. This was Nadal's third defeat in 108 matches at Roland Garros.
In the process, the Serbian also overtook Nadal to second place on the all-time list for most Grand Slam men’s singles finals. His 29 is only behind Roger Federer's 31 final appearances. This is Djokovic's sixth final in Paris.
A win would be Djokovic's seventh title in a span of 11 Grand Slam tournaments and move him within just one of the men's-record (20 each) accumulated by his two great rivals, Roger Federer and Nadal.
Djokovic previously lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2016, after beating Andy Murray in the final. Then, both Nadal and Federer withdrew from the tournament.
And there are a lot more facts and figures to chew on. A win would lift the 28-year-old from Belgrade to 19 Grand Slam titles and make him the first man in the Open Era – and only the third in history – to win every major title twice. Aussies Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the only two men in the sport who have won each Grand Slam twice.
For Tsitsipas, the occasion can be overwhelming. He is chasing a Major title in his maiden final appearance, that too against someone who seems unmovable. But the 22-year-old has numbers to back his claim for a Slam title. There has been steady progress toward this moment by Tsitsipas, who leads the men's tour in total match wins (39) and clay-court victories (22) this season.
Head-to-head: Novak Djokovic leads 5-2, including three in all their three clay court meetings. Last year, they played a five-setter in the semi-final, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1.
Match and telecast details
Match: French Open 2021, Men's Singles Final Match Between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Date: June 13 (Sunday), 2021
Time: 6:30 PM IST
Venue: Court Philippe-Chatrier, Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
TV Channels: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar (Subscription required)
