He had not played a tournament since securing his 24th major at the U.S. Open on September 10— or a match of any kind since representing Serbia in Davis Cup the following week—using that time to rest his body, ease his mind and zero in on the arduous path ahead. He was probably not expecting too much from himself at the Rolex Paris Masters after being away from the competitive world of professional tennis for such a long time.
As if he did not have enough to worry about upon his return to the ATP Tour, he then was hit hard by a stomach ailment midweek in Paris that complicated matters considerably.
Be that as it may, Novak Djokovic somehow survived a harrowing week in France and ultimately collected his 40th Masters 1000 crown, his 97th career singles championship, and his sixth title of 2023 in only eleven 2023 tournament appearances. Despite obvious discomfort and a string of three excruciating encounters leading up to the final that pushed him to his absolute limits and tested comprehensively not only his physical durability but, even more so, his emotional stability, Djokovic moved past his difficulties and found victory deservedly in the end. The biggest weapon in tennis these days is his incomparable mind.
Djokovic’s final round triumph over a revitalized Grigor Dimitrov was straightforward and largely devoid of suspense because the Serbian was immensely disciplined and resolute. He did not face a break point in nine service games across two sets, dissecting his adversary 6-4, 6-3 with his usual pride and professionalism. From start to finish, Djokovic was determined to finish this piece of business swiftly and methodically, and he did just that.
In the early stages, Djokovic was somewhat apprehensive, falling behind 15-30 in the second game on his serve and trailing 0-30 when he served at 1-2. But he met those moments with his usual clarity and conviction. In the latter of those games, he was particularly impressive. On the 0-30 point he opened up the court with a backhand crosscourt approach that set up a scintillating backhand angled drop volley winner. He followed with a service winner down the T, coaxed an error off the Dimitrov backhand slice, and then took his fourth point in a row by sending Dimitrov side to side with controlled aggression until he elicited an error.
At 3-3, Djokovic made his move. His returns in that entire seventh game were remarkable. At 30-40, Dimitrov sent a first serve wide to the Djokovic backhand that should have been a point winner. Yet Djokovic lunged to his left, blocked the return back low and short, and provoked a netted a topspin backhand from Dimitrov.
Djokovic had the break for 4-3 and made it count. He held at love with two service winners and an ace to reach 5-3. Serving for the set two games later, Djokovic advanced to 40-30 but netted a forehand off an effective Dimitrov backhand slice. But then Djokoivic profited from a pair of errant backhand slices from his opponent, and the set belonged to the cagey favorite 6-4.
At 2-2 in the second set, Djokovic made a solid backhand return on break point that Dimitrov mistakenly thought he could control with a topspin backhand down the line reply. That shot landed long, and allowed Djokovic to move in front 3-2. He held at love for 4-2 with an ace out wide in the ad court and then had a break point for 5-2 that Dimitrov erased with a gutsy inside out forehand forcing an error.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian held on gamely in that seventh game, but Djokovic was unflustered. Serving at 4-3, 30-30, he released consecutive first serves down the T and Dimitrov could not get either one back in play. Djokovic moved to 5-3, and then determined that it was closing time, opening the ninth game with a scorching backhand down the line winner. Dimitrov took the next two points but double faulted for 30-30. Now Djokovic went for the inside out backhand second serve return winner and made it. On match point at 30-40, he looped a forehand inside out and drew the error he wanted.
Djokovic had prevailed 6-4, 6-3. The 36-year-old connected with 67% of his first serves, winning 81% of those points. He won 11 of 16 second serve points (69%). He played the match on his terms, setting the tempo he wanted, keeping Dimitrov at bay from beginning to end, defeating his old rival and friend for the 12th time in 13 career meetings. The week had concluded almost the way it started, when Djokovic commenced his campaign for his seventh Rolex Masters Paris title with a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry in 84 efficient minutes.
But that appointment on Wednesday November 1 was followed by three rugged skirmishes that Djokovic had to navigate with the greatest of care just to survive.
The first of these battles was against the 27-year-old Tallon Griekspoor. In two previous duels with the Dutchman, Djokovic had triumphed without much trouble. But this time he drifted dangerously close to defeat against the world No. 21.
Djokovic surged to a 4-1 first set lead and then served at 4-2, 40-15. He challenged a call on the sideline, believing the ball had landed wide. It hit the line. Griekspoor broke back and had a new lease on life. He won five games in a row to steal the set, with Djokovic looking more and more listless with each passing moment. He called for the tournament doctor, who gave him a pill for his ailing stomach.
He remained almost zombie-like for a while, but gradually found a trace of intensity—if no more than that. At 4-4, Djokovic held on from 15-40 with some clutch serving. They travelled to a tie-break, and here Djokovic at last looked like the essential Djokovic, taking it seven points to two with regal authority.
And yet, the tension was not over. Although Griekspoor was not teeing off and lacing second serve returns with the same relish he had earlier, he still was fighting fiercely. Griekspoor made it back to 4-4 in that final set when Djokovic double faulted at break point down in the eighth game. The crowd cheered heartily after that point, with some perhaps wanting more tennis and others hoping for the Serbian’s demise. Djokovic egged them on by raising his arms defiantly while smiling almost ironically, knowing that he thrives so often when confronted by an acrimonious audience. Djokovic proceeded to run off eight consecutive points, completing a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 win and moving into the quarterfinals.
Waiting for Djokovic there was the young fellow who had upended him in the final a year ago on the same court. In fact, by virtue of that win in Paris one year ago, Holger Rune established himself as the only player ever to beat Djokovic from a set down in a Masters 1000 final. Djokovic has won 31 of 32 finals at that level over the course of his career after winning the opening set.
Moreover, Rune had toppled Djokovic again in another three set match on the clay at Rome earlier this year. They had not met since. Needless to say, but Djokovic does not take kindly to losing against anyone three times in a row. Another point of intrigue surrounding this quarterfinal confrontation: Djokovic’s former coach Boris Becker was now in Rune’s corner.
Rune had endured a terrible slump this year after moving into the top five in the world and reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. He had back problems and went into a disconcerting tailspin that no one could have anticipated. Before he joined forces with Becker in Basel, Rune had lost eight of his last nine matches. His swagger was gone. He was not the same player we had witnessed over the past year.
But, with Becker by his side, Rune made it to the semifinals of Basel, and then played well on his way to the showdown with Djokovic in Paris. His creativity on the court, his willingness to get to the net commandingly, his bold second serve speeds— all of these qualities make Rune a compelling performer. Djokovic seemed to be feeling better than he had the day before against Griekspoor, but remained subdued.
Nonetheless, he was in good form, as was Rune. The first set was settled by one break in the twelfth game with Rune serving at 5-6. He reached game point for a potential tie-break but Djokovic persisted and reached set point. He came forward, punched a forehand volley low, and then put away a backhand swing volley from close range that landed on the line.
Djokovic sealed the crucial opening set 7-5. After an early exchange of breaks in the second, he then reached match point with Rune serving at 4-5. But the 20-year-old Dane audaciously sent an impeccably placed and unstoppable first serve down the T to save it. They went to a tie-break and improbably Djokovic was the player who faltered. For only the sixth time in 33 tie-breaks this year he was beaten, but it was more a case of self inflicted wounds from Djokovic (including a double fault at 1-3) than Rune’s shining play that allowed the Dane to prevail seven points to three.
At the end of that sequence, however, Rune was cramping. Djokovic took a bathroom break and when play resumed Rune was not unduly inhibited. But with some expert use of the lob and his customary court sense, Djokovic broke early in the third set and never looked back, serving beautifully to win 20 of 23 points on his delivery including five aces. In two hours and 54 minutes of hard fought and high quality tennis, Djokovic was victorious 7-5, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4.
His next assignment was a semifinal against Andrey Rublev. Djokovic had won four of their five previous confrontations including a come from behind four set victory in their most recent battle at Wimbledon.
Rublev has undoubtedly played the finest tennis of his career in 2023. He won the Masters 1000 title at Monte Carlo over Rune and was runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz in the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournament. His explosive backcourt game featuring one of the biggest forehands in the sport— along with a significantly improved backhand that he takes down the line more frequently— have made Rublev a more formidable player across the board
But the Rublev who showed up to play Djokovic indoors in Paris was combining power, purpose and reliability with a persuasiveness he has perhaps never exhibited before. It was breathtaking to observe the tennis he produced on this occasion. When Djokovic broke Rublev with some stunning running forehands in the opening game, it looked like business as usual for the world No. 1.
But the 36-year-old wasted four game points in the second game and an unbending Rublev broke right back. From that juncture, Rublev had the upper hand for most of the first set. By the middle of that set, Djokovic was clearly suffering to some degree with the stomach issue, looking wan and moving with much less alacrity than normal. With Rublev walloping his ground strokes ruthlessly and hardly missing despite unleashing one gargantuan shot after another, Djokovic was on his heels and fighting just to stay afloat.
At 3-4 in that first set, Djokovic held on from 0-40 with a stream of aces and service winners and at 4-5 the scenario was similar. In that tenth game he was down 0-30 but an ace got him back on track and he swept four points in a row to reach 5-5. Rublev was not perturbed. With Djokovic serving at 5-6, 30-30, Rublev’s return set up an outright winner and then Djokovic surprisingly tried a drop shot off Rublev’s return. It did not even reach the net. Set to Rublev, 7-5.
Once more, Djokovic found himself in a precarious place, down a set against a top five player who was playing arguably the match of his life. In the second game of the second set, Djokovic was down break point but he released a service winner down the T to bail himself out and advanced to 1-1. At 2-2, he had Rublev down 0-40 but the Russian held on with the help of a net cord winner at 30-40. He then saved another break point at 3-3 with a forehand inside out winner.
Twice in the latter stages of that hard fought set, Djokovic had to serve to stay in the match. He was three points from losing at 4-5, 15-15 but defended magnificently out of his forehand corner to reach 30-15, connected immaculately with a forehand inside in winner for 40-15, and aced Rublev out wide to hold for 5-5 at 15. Serving at 5-6 he was down 0-15 and three points from defeat again, but took four points in a row once more with immense poise under pressure.
Now they settled the second set in a tie-break. The players were locked at 2-2 when Djokovic went to work as only he can in these critical sequences. He coaxed an error from Rublev to get the mini-break for 3-2 and then defended with extraordinary determination as Rublev had him scurrying all over the court. Djokovic worked his way back to a neutral position and then employed a short and low backhand chip to draw Rublev in and make him miss.
It was 4-2 for an inspired Djokovic. A service winner down the T took him to 5-2. After an ace from Rublev made it 5-3, Djokovic took an excellent first serve wide from Rublev and rifled his return crosscourt for a dazzling winner. At 6-3, he closed that tie-break out with an ace out wide in the ad court. The 7-3 tie-break triumph was classic Djokovic.
And yet, he was hurting. On the first point of that tie-break, Djokovic had lunged to reach for a backhand return off a big serve from Rublev, aggravating his back. Djokovic took a bathroom break and then called for the trainer, who rubbed his back. Fortunately, he was able to pick up where he left off and keep elevating his game.
Nevertheless, Rublev was not wilting— not in the least. But he was under siege by an opponent who was no longer believing he could lose.
With Rublev serving at 1-2 in the third set, Djokovic had 15-40 and double break point but he netted a backhand crosscourt passing shot. Rublev held on with tenacity. Djokovic was creating scoreboard pressure on Rublev but also holding swiftly and confidently, winning 24 of 29 points on serve in that final set. Rublev later served at 4-5, 0-30, but missed only one first serve on the next four points and closed out that game with an ace for 5-5. Djokovic held at love for 6-5 with an ace and a perfectly packaged serve-and-volley point in that game, and now Rublev served for the second time to stay in the match.
This time, he did not succeed.
Djokovic was defending stupendously in this game. He outmaneuvered Rublev from the baseline twice to reach 0-30 before Rublev put away an overhead. But Djokovic was unrelenting now. A deep backhand down the line forced an error from Rublev to make it 15-40. Cruelly, Rublev double faulted long off the net cord going down the T on the next point and victory belonged to Djokovic 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in just over three hours of spellbinding tennis. I put that match right up there among the top five men’s contests of the year. Outside of the majors, this was the best with the exception of Djokovic’s 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4) win over Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final.
Undoubtedly the week was almost all about Djokovic and his seventh title run at the Rolex Paris Masters. But not entirely.
Dimitrov deserves high marks for finishing his season with such an inspired run and rising again into the top 15 in the world. After he concluded 2017 at No. 3 in the world when he won the ATP Finals, he has fought in vain to stay in that territory while simultaneously setting high standards. But this year he has played his best tennis since 2017 and arguably his game is at an even higher level.
He toppled Alcaraz on his way to the semifinals of Shanghai, which in some ways set the stage for the Bulgarian’s excellent run in Paris. He started his journey in France with a three set win over Lorenzo Musetti. In the second round he avenged a hard fought loss he had suffered in Vienna against No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev. Aside from the Djokovic-Rublev contest, this was the most compelling match of the week.
Dimitrov took the first set from Medvedev but dropped the second before gaining the upper hand again in the third. He served for the match at 5-3 and had four match points, but failed to get a first serve in on any of them. Later, at 5-6, Medvedev faced two more match points, managing to escape. But Dimitrov refused to lose his composure or abandon his game plan. He raced to a 5-0 final set tie-break lead and closed it out seven points to two for one of the most impressive victories of his career. Dimitrov won by scores of 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2).
In the round of 16, Dimitrov toppled Alexander Bublik 6-2, 6-2 before ousting Hurkacz 6-1,4-6, 6-4 as the Polish player lost his outside chance to qualify as one of the elite eight players for Turin. But Dimitrov was not done with his exploits.
He played a tremendous match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. The Greek stylist had won six of his seven career contests against Dimitrov, but this was a week when the Bulgarian was in a different mindset and not preoccupied with the past. Dimitrov completely outplayed Tsitsipas in the first set and then had two break points at 4-4 in the second. But Tsitsipas knifed a forehand volley into the clear and saved the other with a penetrating forehand off a net cord return from an unlucky Dimitrov.
Tsitsipas was too good in winning the second set in a tie-break and then had four break points at 1-1 in the third— the only ones he would create all match long. Dimitrov held on steadfastly. That final set also went to a tie-break and in this one Dimitrov was out of this world. He produced four winners in that sequence including three sparkling passing shots, and took the match by the same scoreline as his Medvedev encounter: 6-3, 6-7 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3). Dimitrov was outclassed by a better player in the final, but the fact remained that he had ended his year in style. The last time he had been in a Masters 1000 final was six years ago in Cincinnati when he took the title over Nick Kyrgios.
Now the stage is set for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, which starts on November 12. The defending champion Djokovic will be the clear favorite as he chases a seventh crown in that season ending tournament for the top eight players. Carlos Alcaraz— beaten in the second round of Paris by the Russian Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-4 after being up a break in both sets—will be trying to break out of a slump after dealing with two injury issues recently. He has not won a tournament since his stirring five set, final round clash with Djokovic at Wimbledon.
The two other main contenders will be world No. 3 Medvedev—the 2020 champion—and world No. 4 Jannik Sinner, who is coming off his greatest season yet and looking forward to performing commendably for his home country’s fans. Rounding out the field are Rublev, 2019 champion Tsitsipas, 2018 and 2021 champion Sascha Zverev, and Rune.
It is an excellent cast with some enticing matchups. Djokovic is, of course, the man to beat. But based on recent form I must give Sinner the next best chance. Medvedev has not won a tournament since Rome. Neither he nor Alcaraz will be that confident going into the tournament, although that could change during the week. But Djokovic is riding high after another significant tournament win, and Sinner will be confident after stopping Medvedev in two finals this autumn at Beijing and Vienna. Although he dropped out of the Rolex Paris Masters after winning his opening match over Mackenzie McDonald at the ungodly hour of 2:37 AM, Sinner will be rested for Turin and should be ready to go.
Djokovic will have a week to recover from the rigors of Paris, and some of the pressure on him to defend will be removed. With a 1490 point lead over Alcaraz in the ATP Race. Djokovic has almost a lock on an eighth year-end No. 1 ranking, so he should be able to keep his mind on the task at hand in Turin and, with an uncluttered mind, give himself the best possible chance to succeed in Italy. I can’t wait for this year end festival to unfold.
