Djokovic caps career slam with French win

1:26 PM ET

PARIS — A French Open champion at long last, and the first man in nearly a half-century to win four consecutive major championships, Novak Djokovic grabbed a racket and etched a heart in the very red clay that had given him such heartache in the past.

Then, when he finally was handed the La Coupe des Mousquetaires — the one trophy he truly yearned for, the one he needed in order to complete his career Grand Slam — Djokovic held it overhead, his eyes shut, before kissing it, exhaling and smiling broadly.

Editor’s PicksWelcome to the exclusive career-Slam club, Novak Djokovic

It took time — a lot of it. But Novak Djokovic can now call himself a first-time French Open winner and esteemed member of the career Grand Slam club.

In his 12th appearance at Roland Garros, and fourth final, the top-seeded Djokovic earned that elusive title, casting aside a shaky opening set to dominate the rest of the way in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 2 Andy Murray on Sunday, buoyed by a supportive crowd that repeatedly chanted his nickname, “No-le!”

“It’s really a very special moment,” Djokovic said, “perhaps the greatest moment of my career.”

Since losing the 2015 final in Paris, Djokovic has won 28 Grand Slam matches in a row, from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, to the Australian Open in January, and now, at long last, the French.

The last man to hold all four major titles simultaneously was Rod Laver in 1969, when he earned a calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic now can set his sights on that ultimate tennis achievement, because he is halfway there.

“This is something that is so rare in tennis,” said Murray, who is now 2-8 in Grand Slam finals. “It’s going to take a long time for it to happen again.”

Novak Djokovic, who had lost three times over the past four years in the final at Roland Garros, now holds 12 Grand Slam titles. Julian Finney/Getty …

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