Novak Djokovic's French Open Run Has Massive Historical Implications
In one masterpiece performance, Novak Djokovic's charge at the record books hit full throttle.
The undisputed world No. 1 didn't just defeat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, he dethroned and demoralized him. Their quarterfinal match for the ages? It fizzled out after early fireworks, leading to the usual one-way traffic Djokovic inflicts on his opponents these days.
Beating Nadal at the French Open had been his white whale. Six previous tries (including several agonizing losses) proved fruitless, testing Djokovic's resolve immeasurably. But the pain of those memories and close calls only stoked the Serbian's competitive fire.
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Djokovic entered their battle with a substantial edge in confidence this time. And it showed. He stormed out of the gate to a 4-0 lead thanks to piercing forehands and deft drop shots. Inevitably, Nadal mounted a comeback, but it proved to be in vain. Djokovic upped the ante and left his archenemy stuck in the Parisian mud.
That seismic win has generated a slew of historical implications.
With the finish line zooming into view, Djokovic is perilously close to a maiden Roland Garros crown. Should he complete his long-awaited mission, he'll become only the eighth man to win all four majors and the first since Jim Courier in 1992 to win both the Australian Open and French Open in the same year. He'd be halfway to a calendar Grand Slam, something which hasn't been accomplished since Rod Laver did it in 1969. Nothing is off the table for him at this point.
At 40-2 in 2015 and with an active 27-match win streak, Djokovic is on a gilded path to one of the greatest seasons in tennis lore. His game, a blend of artistry and technical perfection, is unassailable. As Louis Thomas wrote for Grantland: "That is the quality of Djokovic’s dominance right now. He doesn’t slice you up, or bludgeon you. He doesn’t catch your breath. He gradually suffocates you."
By reaching another semifinal at a major, Djokovic has also entered elite company.
"Djokovic pulls level with Agassi for #4 on the Open Era slam SF list: 1) Federer - 36 2) Connors - 31 3) Lendl - 28 4) Djokovic, Agassi - 26
— Josh Meiseles (@jmeistennis) June 3, 2015"
Will he catch Roger Federer in that metric? It's entirely possible with how his newfound dynasty is shaping up. But there are bigger milestones he could be forever altering.
Firmly entrenched at the summit of the ATP rankings, Djokovic has now spent a total of 149 weeks as No. 1, the sixth-best mark of all time. He should keep climbing that list the next few seasons and may even make a run at Federer's total of 302.
The most hallowed record in men's tennis, however, is Federer's Grand Slam title haul. The Swiss legend has been locked at 17 for the last three years, as a hard-charging Nadal makes him sweat. Yet Federer's unlikely ally here is Djokovic.
He's thrown a massive wrench into Nadal's plans to unseat Federer. Since 2011, Djokovic has conquered seven (and counting) Grand Slam tournaments compared to five for the Spaniard. Without that surge by his rival, Nadal could have already surpassed Federer.
As Djokovic continues his assault at major tournaments, there are more doubts than ever about Nadal's ability to actually catch Federer. Thanks to Djokovic, his aura of invincibility at the French Open is no more.
"When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay." Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant sang that line, but Nadal can empathize. He's been uprooted at Roland Garros by Djokovic, who's opening the flood gates.
Eight major titles are already housed in the 28-year-old's rapidly expanding trophy case. Based off his current trajectory, it's not a stretch to imagine him adding a ninth this weekend and many more in the future.
His hard-court prowess will make him a threat at the U.S. Open and Australian Open (where he already has five victories) until the end of his career. With a pair of championships at Wimbledon to boot, he's now poised to potentially add multiple French Open wins before he walks off into the sunset.
While Federer's record may be out of his reach for now, Djokovic is launching a serious bid to overtake Nadal and Pete Sampras, who both sit at 14 majors.
Come Sunday afternoon, Djokovic could be well on his way to making all these grandiose dreams a reality.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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