Published 00:05 IST, June 12th 2023
WATCH: Novak Djokovic thanks Zlatan, Mbappe and Giroud for gracing French Open 2023 Final
Novak Djokovic thanked football stars like Zlatan, Mbappe and Giroud who attended the final of the French Open 2023, which he won against Casper Ruud.
French Open 2023: Major football stars like Zlatan, Mbappe and Giroud were present in the event of the French Open 2023 Final where Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand slam title against Casper Ruud. Solidifying his position as the record holder as the man with most Grand Slam title victories surpassing the likes of Rafael Nadal and leaving the retired Roger Federer three titles behind. He recorded a victory over Ruud winning all the 3 sets with a score of 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5.
The 36-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic is currently the only athlete to have at least three final triumphs in each major competition, adding this success to his French Open titles from 2016 and 2021. In his career so far, Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open trophies, 7 Wimbledon trophies, and 3 U.S. Open trophies. Many football stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappe and Oliver Giroud were there to see the final. Novak went to thank the footballers in his winning speech who came to watch the fixture between Novak and Ruud.
What did Novak Djokovic say about Zlatan and Mbappe?
The stage is yours, champ 😃#RolandGarros | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/74vuaZKmJ7
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 11, 2023
To conclude his winning speech he said that he wants to thank the football stars who were present there such as Kylian Mbappe, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Oliver Giroud, Benjamin Pavard and Theo Hernandez for taking their time out of their busy training schedule and thanked them for their presence and ends up his speech about the footballers by hoping that the players enjoyed the French Open 2023 final and apologised if he missed any player's name that were present and he didn't notice them. He later thanked everybody with a warm "See you next year". The crowd applauded the champion in the presence of the biggest icons of the sporting world.
By winning his 23rd championship, Djokovic not only becomes the most successful player in the Open era, which started in 1968, but also equals Serena Williams, whose career ended last year, as the most successful player overall.
At 20 days past his 36th birthday, Djokovic surpassed all previous singles champions at Roland-Garros, which is known for its arduous character because of the protracted, grinding points needed on the sluggish red clay, as opposed to the grass or hard courts available elsewhere.
Updated 00:05 IST, June 12th 2023