atp world tour finals past winners

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ATP Tour Finals: Past winners

Past winners

2023: Novak Djokovic (7) 2022: Novak Djokovic (6) 2021: Alexander Zverev (2) 2020: Daniil Medvedev 2019: Stefanos Tsitsipas 2018: Alexander Zverev 2017: Grigor Dimitrov 2016: Andy Murray 2015: Novak Djokovic (5) 2014: Novak Djokovic (4) 2013: Novak Djokovic (3) 2012: Novak Djokovic (2) 2011: Roger Federer (6) 2010: Roger Federer (5) 2009: Nikolay Davydenko 2008: Novak Djokovic 2007: Roger Federer (4) 2006: Roger Federer (3) 2005: David Nalbandian 2004: Roger Federer (2) 2003: Roger Federer 2002: Lleyton Hewitt (2) 2001: Lleyton Hewitt 2000: Gustavo Kuerten 1999: Pete Sampras (5) 1998: Alex Corretja 1997: Pete Sampras (4) 1996: Pete Sampras (3) 1995: Boris Becker (3) 1994: Pete Sampras (2) 1993: Michael Stich 1992: Boris Becker (2) 1991: Pete Sampras 1990: Andre Agassi 1989: Stefan Edberg 1988: Boris Becker 1987: Ivan Lendl (5) 1986: Ivan Lendl (4) 1985: Ivan Lendl (3) 1984: John McEnroe (3) 1983: John McEnroe (2) 1982: Ivan Lendl (2) 1981: Ivan Lendl 1980: Bjorn Borg (2) 1979: Bjorn Borg 1978: John McEnroe 1977: Jimmy Connors 1976: Manuel Orantes 1975: Ilie Nastase (4) 1974: Guillermo Vilas 1973: Ilie Nastase (3) 1972: Ilie Nastase (2) 1971: Ilie Nastase 1970: Stan Smith

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A list of all ATP Finals winners

With the 2022 ATP Finals at the Pala Alpitour just around the corner, TSZ breaks down all previous winners of the Singles event.

The season-ending tournament's first iteration came in 1970, which saw the USA's Stan Smith defeat Rod Laver in Tokyo. That was followed by a hat-trick of victories for Romanian legend Ilie Nastase, who went on to win four ATP Finals events in total.

Nastase doesn't hold the record for the most tournament wins though. Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic have all raised the trophy five times, but Roger Federer stands on his own with six ATP Finals titles to his name.

History Of The Nitto ATP Finals

Men's professional tennis has always featured a year-end championship ever since Jack Kramer, the first executive director of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), implemented the Grand Prix structure of a year-long series of tennis tournaments in 1969 . Right from the first Masters in Tokyo in December 1970 it became a prestigious event, and was subsequently held in Paris, Barcelona, Boston, Melbourne, Stockholm, and Houston before the event started a 13-year association with Madison Square Garden in New York from 1977 to 1989 . The Masters evolved into the ATP Tour World Championships in 1990 . Frankfurt and Hannover shared the event through 1999 . In 2000 , the event was rebranded Tennis Masters Cup and was held in Lisbon, Sydney, Houston and Shanghai. In 2009 , the event moved to The O2 in London, the world's busiest entertainment arena, as the Nitto ATP Finals and celebrated the 50-year anniversary in 2020. After a successful 12-year stint in London, the tournament moved to Turin in 2021 .

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Most wins of the ATP Finals (singles)

Novak Djokovic (Serbia) won the end-of-season ATP Finals in 2008, 2012–15 and 2022–23. His seven tournament victories – the latest of which saw him defeat Jannik Sinner at Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, on 19 November 2023 – bested Roger Federer’s six titles won between 2003 and 2011.

The world No.1 (b. 22 May 1987) was 36 years 181 days old when he took home his record-setting seventh ATP Finals trophy, making him the tournament’s oldest-ever singles winner.

For a week’s work at the Pala Alpitour in 2023, Djokovic collected $2,201,000 (£1,765,942) for winning the title, plus $1,105,000 (£886,581) for defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, $780,000 (£625,822) for two wins in the round robin stage and a participation fee of $325,500 (£261,160) – totalling $4,411,500 (£3,539,505).

At the 2023 ATP Finals, Djokovic gained revenge for his Green Group defeat to Jannik Sinner on 14 November by seeing off the fourth-ranked Italian 6–3, 6–3 in his own back yard as the 24-time Grand Slam winner cemented his status as the No.1-ranked tennis player in the world. Ironically, it had been Sinner’s group-stage defeat of Holger Rune on 16 November that had extended Djokovic’s participation in the tournament and guaranteed his place in the semi-finals.

Djokovic overhauled Roger Federer’s tournament wins record in Turin in 2023. The retired Swiss player’s six ATP Finals trophies were won in 2003–04, 2006–07 and 2010–11.

Djokovic finished the 2023 tour season with a match record of 55 wins and six defeats, and on the day following his title in Turin he began a record 400th week as the world’s No.1-ranked player.

List of ATP Finals Winners, Past Champions History Since 1970

ATP Finals champions by year, past winners list, history since 1970

• Nitto ATP World Tour Finals is the 2nd top tier men's Tennis tournament in the Tennis Sport. 
• It is held every year in November at Turin, Italy till 2025. It is part of the  Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour. 
• The 1st tournament was organized in 1970 & win by Stan Smith by def. the Rod Laver.
• Novak Djokovic has Surpass the Roger Federer record of having the most singles ATP Final titles with 7th times.
•  ATP World Tour Finals doubles title winners Peter Fleming, John McEnroe both have won the most Doubles ATP Finals with 7 times. 
• Most Singles Appear. in the ATP World Tour Finals by Roger Federer with 14 times.  
• Currently, 2023 Nitto ATP Finals Singles winner's  Novak Djokovic who beats the Italian Jennik Sinner to claims the record-breaking SEVENTH ATP Finals title in Turin.
• Djokovic earned a record $4,740,300, the highest payout for a tournament winner in tennis.
• Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury claimed $930,300, the highest payout in doubles history.

• WTA World Tour Championship Finals Champions List, Past winners by year.  

ATP Finals past winners list by year, history since 1970-2023.

Posted by sports history

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GRAND SLAM HISTORY Reference Book.  1877 - 2024

• TENNIS HEADLINES

Dates: Nov 10, 2024 - Nov 17, 2024

ATP Finals Venues

Tokyo : 1970 (Singles and Doubles)

In 2002 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles tournament not held.

Paris : 1971 (Singles)

Barcelona : 1972 (Singles)

Boston : 1973 (Singles)

Melbourne : 1974 (Singles)

In 1971-1974 Masters Grand Prix Doubles tournament not held.

Stockholm : 1975 (Singles and Doubles)

Houston : 1976 (Singles and Doubles), 2003-2004 (Singles and Doubles)

New York : 1977-1985 (Singles and Doubles), 1986-1989 (Singles)

Frankfurt : 1990-1995 (Singles)

Gold Coast : 1990 (Doubles)

Johannesburg : 1991-1993 (Doubles)

Jakarta : 1994 (Doubles)

Eindhoven : 1995 (Doubles)

Hanover : 1996-1999 (Singles)

Hartford : 1996-1999 (Doubles)

Lisbon : 2000 (Singles)

Bangalore : 2000-2001 (Doubles)

Sydney : 2001 (Singles)

Shanghai : 2002 (Singles), 2005-2008 (Singles and Doubles)

London : 1986-1989 (Doubles), 2009-2020 (Singles and Doubles)

Turin : 2021-2024 (Singles and Doubles)

tournament names in previous years

Atp finals - current champions.

Players who won Men's singles and doubles titles at the same ATP Finals

Atp finals records.

ATP Finals: Full list of title winners

(Courtesy :  ATP Tour )

Sourav Goswami

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic share the record for most titles won in singles.

The Nitto ATP Finals 2023 is the year-end tournament of the ATP Tour season. The event, which features only the world's top eight singles players and doubles teams, has been contested in major cities around the world, with a rich history dating back to the birth of The Masters in Tokyo (1970). The 54th edition of the tournament, Nitto ATP Finals 2023 is scheduled to take place at Turin’s Pala Alpitour stadium, Italy’s largest indoor sporting arena.

The ATP Finals is a major event on the tennis calendar and provides opportunities to see the world's best players compete for the title of ATP Finals champion.

It was first held in 1970 and has been held every year. The ATP Finals has consistently provided thrilling matches and unforgettable moments throughout its history.

The ATP Finals is a highly competitive tournament, known for its high-quality matches and its exciting atmosphere. The ATP Finals is also a valuable opportunity for players to earn ranking points and prize money. An undefeated champion at the Nitto ATP Finals will earn 1,500 Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin points (and 1,500 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points).

We will now take a look at the list of past winners of the ATP Finals:

ATP Finals Title Winners (Singles)

Atp finals title winners (doubles).

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Djokovic wins record 7th ATP Finals title by beating Sinner in straight sets

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning the singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning the singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, winner, left, and second placed Italy’s Jannik Sinner hold their trophies at the end of the singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy’s Jannik Sinner holds the second placed trophy at the end of the singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning the singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy’s Jannik Sinner reacts after losing a point to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Italy’s Jannik Sinner during their singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

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TURIN, Italy (AP) — Novak Djokovic ended the year just as he started it — by setting records.

The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36.

He started 2023 with a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and went on to claim his 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy at the French Open, breaking Rafael Nadal’s mark. Djokovic, who lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, also won the U.S. Open .

“One of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt,” Djokovic said. “To crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik, who has played amazing tennis this week, is phenomenal.”

Djokovic entered Sunday’s final tied with Roger Federer on six titles at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.

And he stretched out his arms and beamed broadly after clinching his seventh when Sinner double-faulted.

The victory had echoes of the clinical way Djokovic dispatched second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday’s semifinal encounter.

“I’m very proud of the performances these last two days against Alcaraz and Sinner, probably the best two players in the world next to me and (Daniil) Medvedev at the moment, and the way they have been playing I had to step it up,” Djokovic said.

“I had to win the matches and not wait for them to hand me the victory and that’s what I’ve done. I think I tactically played different today than I have in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”

It was his fourth win over Sinner, who had recorded a first-ever victory against Djokovic in the group stage in Turin and was the first Italian to reach the final.

But Djokovic was in imperious form on Sunday and won 14 straight points from the end of the first set to the third game of the second to leave him firmly in control and subdue the Turin crowd.

Djokovic had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time by winning his opening match at the ATP Finals.

After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark.

It was also only the second time in the last 15 years that a player has made the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals. The only previous occasion was when Djokovic did it in 2015.

Sinner came into the final having won all of his matches in Turin and backed by a fervent home crowd, who had dreams of him becoming the first Italian to win the tournament in its 54-year history.

But the 22-year-old Sinner could offer little in response to a master class from Djokovic, especially in a blistering first set that lasted just 38 minutes and saw the Serbian win 20 of 22 service points. Djokovic also served up 13 aces during the match.

“Congratulations to you (Novak) for this week and not only: you started the season by winning and you ended it by winning, you won three Slams and many other tournaments,” Sinner said. “What else is there to say? You’re an inspiration not only for all those watching, but especially for the players.

“I also want to thank my team … we saw also today that I can still improve a lot but we can look at the positive things from this season. When we started the year I was one player and now I’m another. Thanks to you who have helped me understand so many things.”

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Novak Djokovic and clay: Roland Garros, the Nadal rivalry and unfulfilled destiny

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Is it possible to have 24 Grand Slam titles and still feel a pang of regret?

If your name is Novak Djokovic, and the regret in question is about the French Open, yes. For almost two decades at Roland Garros, he has been the right man at the wrong time.

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In the entire history of tennis, there has been one better male clay-court player than Djokovic: Rafael Nadal, who has won 14 French Open titles, and 63 ATP Tour events on clay in total.

Three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander puts Djokovic and Bjorn Borg, who won six men’s titles at Roland Garros in eight years between 1974 and 1981, level behind the Spaniard.

“I would rank it Nadal, and then Borg and Djokovic joint-second,” said Wilander, who is covering this year’s French Open for broadcaster Eurosport, in a conversation on Monday night. “Djokovic won three here when Nadal was pretty much unbeatable. I can’t put him past Borg, because he won six times, but I’d put him joint-second to Rafa.”

Were it not for Nadal, Djokovic would surely have a lot more than those three French Open titles. Nadal has beaten him here eight times, in two quarterfinals, three semis and three finals.

And now, with an injured Nadal finally out of the way, potentially for good, and the rest of the field inexperienced in the art of winning a Grand Slam, Djokovic’s body has failed him too.

A heroic five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, which initially put him into what would have been an 18th Paris quarterfinal, instead sent him out of the tournament with a torn meniscus in his right knee . Casper Ruud, his would-be opponent, got a free pass to the semifinals, and Djokovic’s chance to get a different kind of closure at Roland Garros — an Olympic gold medal, which he has craved for so long — is in doubt.

His 17 quarterfinals have translated into three titles, which is still an outstanding record.

Only two male players have won more French Opens than Djokovic since the Second World War. Borg has his six, the last of which was 43 years ago, and Nadal has his preposterous 14. Three others have also won three — Wilander, Ivan Lendl and Gustavo Kuerten. Some of the most renowned male players in the world, including Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and Andy Murray, all multiple Grand Slam champions, have never won at Roland Garros.

A fourth would have rubber-stamped Djokovic’s superiority over his fellow three-timers, but the fact that he won his titles in the era of Nadal gives him the edge in most eyes anyway, including those of Wilander himself.

There was even a French Open where Djokovic beat Nadal, and still didn’t win the title.

That was in 2015, when it felt like he was cursed to never be champion at Roland Garros, the one major that eluded him in his desperate quest to complete the career Grand Slam. Djokovic’s semi-final against Murray went to five sets and, in those days before Court Philippe-Chatrier had a roof, had to be played over two days, meaning he had no day off before playing Stanislas Wawrinka in the final. Djokovic eventually ran out of steam and lost to Wawrinka in four sets, having won the first.

The following year, Djokovic returned to finally win the title, but doing so and completing the career Grand Slam contributed to a mental and physical letdown that saw him not win another major for two years — a lifetime in Novak-land.

Even with these misfortunes, Djokovic is still the only thing resembling a rival Nadal has had at Roland Garros. He is responsible for half of the Mallorcan’s four career defeats at the French Open, and until last week — which carries an asterisk, given Nadal’s physical condition — was the only man to beat him here in straight sets. Djokovic would be forgiven for feeling frustrated that just as Nadal is bowing out, he too, having turned 37 last month, is not fit enough to compete for this year’s title.

Whatever happens from here on in, when you throw in six Italian Opens, three titles in Madrid and two in Monte Carlo, it’s clear Djokovic is an elite, would-be generational clay-court player. “A clay-court monster,” as Gael Monfils put it to The Athletic  last month.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost to Djokovic in the 2021 French Open final, agrees. “With clay, you always think of Rafa as the dominant one, but Novak I think is not talked about enough on clay,” he said on Monday night. “He is definitely one of the best competitors and fighters on clay. I think he’s done incredible things on the surface — especially in the Rafa era, when he was able to beat him here and in other tournaments.”

Djokovic and clay isn’t something we hear about much, and as Tsitsipas says, the Nadal factor is a big part of this — who cares about three measly titles when there’s a guy who has 14? There’s also the fact that Djokovic has been much more successful on other surfaces. He has won 10 Australian Opens and seven Wimbledons, and his winning percentage on outdoor hard courts (85 per cent) and on grass (86 per cent) outstrips his, still hugely impressive, 80 per cent on clay. The man himself is aware that it’s not where he is at his best.

“Although I grew up on clay, it is not my favourite surface. I like to play on hard, then on grass, and then only on clay,” he said in 2021. “Clay is the kind of surface where it is unpredictable, and sometimes for my style of play, tempo, and rhythm it can be quite challenging.”

Ruud, the man he should have been facing on Wednesday and the opponent he beat in last year’s final, was plain about the nature of Djokovic’s unfulfilled destiny at Roland Garros: “You can definitely argue that Novak is the second-best clay court player of all time. I mean, obviously, Borg has more titles here than him, but Novak was always close, he always pretty much reached the final and ended up losing to Rafa.”

That this is the consensus in the locker room has been underlined by similar sentiments from many other players over the past few days — including No 13 seed Holger Rune, who missed out on a quarterfinals place in a defeat to No 4 seed Alexander Zverev. Rune said: “I f Rafa wasn’t here, Novak would be the best clay court player. He’s won three French Opens, which is amazing.”

In tennis, being second-best means losing. So how does the second-best male clay-court player of all time build such a redoubtable legacy?

All players adjust to the surface they are playing on, but there are qualities that the best players possess that are universally effective. The homogenisation of the sport’s three main surfaces over the last 20 or so years — grass getting slower; clay getting faster — has also helped players dominate across all three surfaces. Witness the three male players with the most Grand Slam titles all doing so in this period.

While Djokovic is his best self on hard courts, he’s still almost peerless on clay.

Tennis Data Innovations’ (TDI) overall Performance Rating takes into account the player’s shot quality, the percentage of shots they play in attack, and their efficiency in both attack (conversion score) and defence (steal score). It has Djokovic as by far the best player on hard courts (leading second place by 0.46) and ranks him second for clay (just 0.15 behind the leader, Zverev), based on his past two years of performance on the surfaces in ATP tournaments.

Even if the general makeup of his game — the flat forehand, the rock-solid backhand — makes him the archetypal hard-court player, he has qualities that are very well-suited to clay.

One is his durability.

Just ask Carlos Alcaraz, who fell away after two gruelling sets against Djokovic in last year’s semi-final here. Alcaraz won the second set but then started suffering badly from cramp and ended up losing both the third and fourth sets 6-1, saying that the cramps were occasioned less by physical punishment, and more the intense mental pressure of facing Djokovic on the red stuff.

“He’s really tough on every surface, but here on clay he puts so much pressure on you in every point,” says Alcaraz. “In every point — the first point to the last one you have to play long rallies, like seven, eight, nine balls. Every rally, you have to be at your best level.

“Last year I couldn’t finish the match at my 100 per cent because, after just two sets, I was down on intensity. For him, it was normal.”

Djokovic’s physicality and defensive skills are born out by the numbers. Steal score, which is how TDI measures how often a player has won the point when they are in defence, puts Djokovic at 38 per cent on clay courts compared to 36 per cent on hard. Both figures are significantly above the tour average for the previous 52 weeks on all surfaces, which is 34 per cent.

We saw this in action in Djokovic’s final couple of matches at Roland Garros this year.

Against 30th seed Lorenzo Musetti at the weekend, Djokovic earned himself three set points in the fourth set with some outstanding defence that ended with a devastating angled backhand. To achieve the decisive break of serve in the fifth set against No 23 seed Cerundolo, meanwhile, he clung on in the game by winning a point he looked out of on several occasions before somehow stealing it when his opponent was hustled into an error. Earlier, he rescued a terrific passing shot with a flying volley (while playing on one functioning knee).

“I had to hit my best shot every single time,” a rueful Cerundolo said afterwards. “If you don’t hit well, he (will) crush you.”

✈️ Djokovic provides the Shot of the Day 👀 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/K3Ct38W9wn — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2024

Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champion (and he of the underarm serve heard around the world), says that Djokovic’s physicality and defensive skills have been especially useful on clay, which he feels is “the most different and most demanding of all the surfaces.”

“The French Open is, by far, on the men’s side the most physically demanding tournament of the year. You can play unbelievable tennis but if you’re not in shape for a two-week tournament, you’ll come up short,” Chang says.

Chang was speaking to The Athletic on Monday, before Djokovic suffered his tournament-ending knee injury, and his words feel even more pertinent now.

As well as staying in rallies even more effectively on clay, the dirt also allows him to exploit his gift as the greatest returner in the history of the sport.

His percentage of service games won is at its lowest on clay, but his return hits its highest games won percentage on the same surface. He also uses speed, spin, and depth more effectively when returning on clay, partnering with the natural qualities of the surface to neutralise his opponents and get them into rallies where he will be favourite.

“The return on clay makes you feel a lot of pressure, because his ball comes back so hard and deep at you,” says world No 18 Karen Khachanov, who Djokovic beat in last year’s French Open quarterfinal and in the fourth round here in 2020.

One of Djokovic’s great skills on clay is his ability to adapt. His game, built on that rock-solid backhand and an angular but relatively flat forehand, is perfect for hard courts. Thriving on clay means making tweaks.

“You see Novak every day on a hard court — he hits a clean ball, not too much topspin. Not too fast. Which then makes him a complete animal to be able to win on clay,” says Wilander, who won seven Grand Slams in all. “The fact he keeps doing this over and over again is why I put him up there with Borg on clay.”

Wilander says that Djokovic’s ability to morph his forehand to suit the surface he’s playing on is crucial.

“On grass he hits it flatter, so on clay the spin comes sort of out of nowhere and there’s a lot of surprise, whereas Nadal hits it (his forehand) like that all the time. Novak only does it when he feels like he has the upper hand, and when he adds that kind of spin, the opponent goes, ‘Woah, where did that come from?’.”

That ability to change his game is his greatness, Wilander says, on clay and across the board, and Djokovic’s completeness is exemplified by him being the only male player to have won all four Grand Slams a minimum of three times each.

Djokovic’s peers, who have struggled to master all of the sport’s surfaces, are in awe of his versatility and adaptability. Grigor Dimitrov, the No 10 seed who finally made his first Roland Garros quarterfinal this year at the 14th attempt, says: “He’s one of the very few players that have been able to adapt to any surface and any changes over the years.”

World No 5 Daniil Medvedev, who has a love-hate relationship with clay, adds: “Novak’s game is more suited for grass and hard courts, but he’s an amazing player on every surface. That’s where I find Novak amazing. Even if his game might have been a bit more vulnerable (on clay), he still wins three (at) Roland Garros.”

“What is impressive with Novak is his incredible ability to switch surfaces and still play with the same kind of amazing consistency, not looking like he lacks anything,” Tsitsipas says. “I really feel like that’s the goal for us (other players) to aim towards.”

Because of his injury, Djokovic won’t get the chance to move clear of Wilander, Kuerten and Lendl and to within two of Borg in the final on Sunday — but if he returns to tennis in time for the Olympics , he will have at least one more shot at closure on the courts of Roland Garros.

The 2024 French Open will ultimately go down as another tale of woe for the Serbian, but to have achieved all he has on clay in the era of Nadal will go down as one of his biggest career achievements — even if, on this surface, the biggest winner in men’s tennis history came out second-best.

(Top photos: Corbis, DeFodi via Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb for The Athletic)

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Charlie Eccleshare is a tennis journalist for The Athletic, having previously covered soccer as the Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for five years. He joined in 2019 after five years writing about football and tennis at The Telegraph. Follow Charlie on Twitter @ cdeccleshare