By succeeding on the charts to Rafael Nadal, emperor with ten Roman coronations eliminated this year in the eighth, the 34-year-old Serb confirms his return to great shape after a first quarter almost at a standstill due to his non-vaccination against Covid.

Forget the incredible expulsion from Australia in January and the elimination last week in Madrid against rising star Carlos Alcaraz, absent from Rome to better prepare for Roland-Garros (May 22-June 5).

The "Djoker" has become implacable again by chaining five victories without dropping a set on Roman clay to conquer his sixth coronation in this Eternal City he adores (in twelve finals).

"This ground has always been very special for me. It has always given me confidence and brought joy when I really needed positive emotions, in times when I was a little low...", underlined in Italian Djokovic receiving the trophy.

“This year, with everything that happened in Australia, it took a bit of time to find my balance, mentally and physically,” he later admitted in an interview.

Entered Saturday in the club of players with 1,000 victories with Jimmy Connors (recordman with 1,274 successes), Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal, "Nole" won the 1,001st after a rather strange match, marked in particular by the unexpected slump in the first set of the Greek, winner in April in Monte-Carlo.

Family succession

A week before the big Parisian meeting, where Djokovic will try to join the record holder Nadal in the number of Grand Slam victories (21), this final has already given a little flavor of Roland-Garros with the reissue of the last final of the Porte d'Auteuil, won by "Nole" after a battle in five sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas overtaken against Novak Djokovic at Foro Italico, May 15, 2022 Tiziana FABI AFP

The fight this time took half an hour to start, the time it took for Tsitsipas to enter his final.

The Greek was unable in the first set to respond to a steamroller Djokovic, who finished the set 6-0 giving up only ten points.

Tsitsipas finally raised his game in the second set, when the Serb lost some of his serenity.

"Nole" played a little too lightly on some drop shots and showed some signs of annoyance when the Greek broke him to take the 3-1 lead.

Finally consistent, Tsitsipas thought he could push the Serb into a third set for the first time this week in Rome.

But it was without counting on the confidence returned from the world N.1.

The latter regained his initial solidity to unbreak and calmly master the decisive game to conclude.

Djokovic tried to console his opponent during the cup ceremony: "You must be proud, I'm sure you'll win a lot of titles here in Rome and all over the world".

Novak Djokovic serving against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rome, May 15, 2022 Tiziana FABI AFP

But he also warned that the family succession was already arriving: "Today, at 4 p.m., when we started this match, my son Stefan, who is 7 years old, played his first tennis match", announced the Serb, adding with a smile: "I hope he won!"

© 2022 AFP