2022 French Open: Novak Djokovic eyes these milestones
What's the story
The French Open is all set to kickstart on May 22. World number one Novak Djokovic would be raring to defend his crown at the mega event at the Stade Roland Garros. He had outclassed the Rafael Nadal and eventual runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last edition of the tournament. Here are the records he can script in this edition.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Djokovic is currently tied with Swiss ace Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slams. The 34-year-old had missed out on the Australian Open at the start of the year. He seeks his maiden Grand Slam title of the season. Lately, he won a record-extending 38th Masters 1000 title in Rome. He would want to capitalize on the form at the Roland Garros.
Majors
Djokovic on the chase for his 21st major title
Djokovic and Federer have the joint second-most majors in the Open Era (20). Rafael Nadal has an edge over the duo, having captured his 21st major at the 2022 Australian Open. Djokovic would be desperate to break the tie and equal the Spaniard. Djokovic last participated in a major at the 2021 US Open, where he was downed by Daniil Medvedev in the final.
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Djokovic eyes his 260th win on clay
Djokovic ranks 30th among players with the most wins on clay. He has racked up 254 wins, tied along with Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero's tally. With form in his stride, he could very well reach the final to pocket his 260th clay-court win.
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Djokovic's win tally across Grand Slams
Djokovic (323) ranks second only to Federer (369) in terms of most wins across Grand Slams. That includes 82 wins at the Australian Open, 81 wins each at French Open and US Open, and 79 wins at Wimbledon. Nadal follows suit, having aggregated 298 wins.
Titles
Djokovic can claim his 19th clay-court title
Djokovic ranks 10th in the list of players with the most titles on clay. He has willed himself to 18 titles so far. He has won five of those in the last three years (2019 Madrid Open, 2020 Italian Open, Belgrade 2 and Roland Garros in 2021, and 2022 Italian Open). Nadal sits on top of the heap with 62 titles on this surface.
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A look at Djokovic's numbers in French Open
He enjoys an 81-15 win-loss record at the Roland Garros. He has been a runner-up at the tournament on four occasions (2010, 2014, 2015, and 2020). Meanwhile, he is a five-time semi-finalist in the tournament (2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2019).
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Most Grand Slams final appearances
Federer and Djokovic have a joint-most 31 appearances in Grand Slam finals. The latter has a chance in hand to register the most finale appearance at Slam events. Meanwhile, Nadal is second with 29 finals appearances.
French Open
Djokovic seeks his third title at French Open
Djokovic is a two-time winner at the Roland Garros, having won the title in 2016 and 2021. He is currently tied with Jan Kodes, Jim Courier, and Sergi Bruguera in this regard. If the Serb wins his third title, then he could equal the tallies of Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl, and Gustavo Kuerten, who possess three titles each in the Open Era.