It doesn’t have the same ring, perhaps, as the alliterative Serena Slam or the inherent roar of the Tiger Slam — but the Novak Slam is among the greatest accomplishments in sports history. Men’s tennis has no defending Grand Slam champion right now other than French Open winner Novak Djokovic. He’s got all the trophies. Only two men have done this, Don Budge and Rod Laver.
No male player in the more modern era has held all four titles at once — not Federer, not Nadal, not McEnroe, Borg, Sampras, Agassi. For longer perspective, Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams. It took Djokovic 12 tries to win the French Open, a particularly elusive goal — even for the world’s best — because of 9-time champion Rafa Nadal’s extraordinary Roland Garros dominance. Even Federer has managed only one French Open title. But Djokovic, thrice a runner-up, dismantled Andy Murray for the 2016 French crown, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Djokovic’s victory and accomplishment are so great that Murray, in defeat, said he was “proud to be a part of it.” Djokovic has 12 Slams in all, five short of Federer’s all-time record. He is 29.
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