calendar slam: How Novak Djokovic can become World No. 1 after reaching French Open final

Novak Djokovic has much more to win than just the 23rd Grand Slam title of his career in the 2023 French Open final.

Novak Djokovic will face Casper Ruud in the final in Paris on Sunday, June 11. The Serb will be playing to win his third Roland Garros title and become the first man to hold at least three Grand Slam titles at each of the four Major tournaments.

Along with that, in play in the final are the World No. 1 spot and the first place in the ATP Finals Race.

If Novak Djokovic beats Casper Ruud in the final, he will return to the World No. 1 spot and take the lead in the Race as well. If Novak Djokovic loses to Ruud, however, Carlos Alcaraz will remain the World No. 1, and Daniil Medvedev will keep his No. 1 spot in the ATP Race.

In the live rankings, Djokovic (6,795 points) has already passed Medvedev at the No. 2 spot, and he is trailing Alcaraz (7,175) by 380 points. If he wins, he will be ahead of the Spaniard by 420 points.

In the live ATP race, Djokovic is third (3,945 ranking points), behind Alcaraz (4,175) and Medvedev (4,310). If he wins, he will be in the lead by 435 points. The Serb will also be close to the points threshold for ATP Finals qualification, which is set at 6,635 points, as he will have 4,745.

Novak Djokovic not thinking about Calendar Slam after French Open 2023 semifinal win

Novak Djokovic has so far failed to win a Calendar Slam, i. e. win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year.

He was closest in 2021, when he lost in the final of the US Open to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

If he beats Casper Ruud in the 2023 French Open final, Djokovic will be halfway through the Calendar Slam, as he had won the Australian Open earlier in the year.

"Calendar slam is really far. But maybe it won't be that far if I win on Sunday. But let's see," Djokovic said at the semifinals press conference.

Even though it's a possibility, World No. 3 is not thinking about that particular accolade.

"You know, I'm not thinking about calendar slam. I'm thinking really just to win another Grand Slam title here on Sunday, and I'm so close. I know it. I know the feeling. I've had this feeling quite a few times in my career," Djokovic said.

"I know how I need to handle myself, my emotions, my day tomorrow, and after tomorrow, and to approach the finals in the best possible way," he added.

About the author

Luka Nikolic is a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda. Hailing from Serbia, he is passionate about crafting engaging narratives for readers. An expert at tracking and publishing trends, Luka also has a good understanding of SEO and journalism guidelines. He is an experienced journalist with demonstrated expertise in the tennis industry. Strong in communication, Luka is skilled in writing both long and short-form content.

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Edited by Shyam Kamal