Novak Djokovic moves up the list of most Grand Slam titles in tennis history with No. 23

Djokovic earned his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three in front of the retired Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ruud that really was not in doubt for most of its 3 hours, 13 minutes.

'I am beyond fortunate in my life to win 23 Grand Slams.' - Novak Djokovic

"It's not a coincidence I won the 23rd Grand Slam here in Paris. This tournament has always been the hardest for me to win." - Djokovic

Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, puts this one alongside the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major event. He has won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.

Getting to 23 not only sets the mark for men, but it also lets Djokovic equal Serena Williams, who wrapped up her career last year, for the most by anyone in the Open era, which began in 1968

At 20 days past his 36th birthday, Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, considered the most grueling of the majors because of the lengthy, grinding points required by the red clay, which is slower than the grass or hard courts underfoot elsewhere.

Djokovic already has spent more weeks at the top spot than any player — man or woman — since the inception of computerized tennis rankings a half-century ago.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) is handovered a special trophy by French Tennis Federation's President Gilles Moretton as he celebrates his victory over Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles final match on day fifteen of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

'I was a seven-year-old dreaming that I could win Wimbledon and become number one in the world one day. I'm beyond grateful and blessed to be standing here with so many incredible achievements.' - Djokovic

There has been a debate in the tennis world for quite some time over which among Djokovic, Nadal or Federer is the 'Greatest of All-time' or 'GOAT' for short. If the barometer is Grand Slam championships, no one can argue against Djokovic’s status at the moment.