Rolex Paris Masters – Six triumphs and one “hiccup”: The 7 finals of Novak Djokovic, Bercy’s master

2009: A great first solo against everyone

• Opponent: Gael Monfils
• Score: 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3)

In 18 duels Novak Djokovic has always won against Gaël Monfils. But the French did not always return resigned to the court against the Serbian. And this November 15, 2009 also gave a lot of hope to the Parisian public. Yet largely dominated from the start, led by a set and a break (6-2, 3-0), he feeds on the energy of the spectators to unlock and instill doubts in the opponent’s head. Still leading 4-1 in the third set, the Serbian shivered and even saw “La Monf” take the lead in the tiebreak with 2 to 1 points. However, he won 6 of the last 7 points to cool the mood. . The mark of a champion.

2013: The reconquest

• Opponent: David Ferrer
• Score: 7-5, 7-5

Four years after his first triumph, Djokovic returns to the final. He was then thrown into a hellish chase to try and steal the first place in the world from Rafael Nadal at the end of the season, a feat in which he would have failed. Full of confidence after his two titles in Beijing and Shanghai, he completed the move of three at the sports hall while eliminating defending champion David Ferrer. Extremely frustrating final for the Spaniard who serves the set at 5-4 in both sets, but ends up giving up the last three games. Behind him, Djokovic shows what everyone already knows: he does everything a little better than his opponent. It is the beginning of a three-year reign in Bercy.

2014: A perfect week for an unprecedented double

• Opponent: Milos Raonic
• Score: 6-2, 6-3

While still threatened by Roger Federer – who also beat him in the semifinals in Shanghai a few weeks earlier – in the race for the throne, Novak Djokovic arrives at Bercy on conquered ground. All week, he drives around, not dropping a set along the way. For the title, he also performed a real demonstration against Milos Raonic, and the murderous serve of him, who had kicked Federer out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. His mastery of the relaunch is simply fantastic: from a pause in entry he sends a first message to the Canadian bomber that he will not recover. With three Parisian titles, he joins Marat Safin and Boris Becker in tournament history and becomes the first player to keep his trophy.

2015: A hegemony at its peak

• Opponent: Andy Murray
• Score: 6-2, 6-4

In the heart of a decade that has dominated globally, the year 2015 will remain perhaps the most complete for Novak Djokovic. And Bercy is no exception to this observation. In the wake of her second career Grand Slam (after 2011), “Nole” arrives in the French capital in the autumn with full confidence. If he was pushed by Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals, he went into overdrive against one of his biggest rivals, Andy Murray, to offer himself an unprecedented hat-trick in the event. Scoring a flawless performance (12 unforced errors, one break point granted), he became the only record holder of the POPB title. What else?

2018: The Khachanov exception

• Opponent: Karen Khachanov
• Score: 5-7, 4-6

After two years of doubts, the second part of the 2018 season marks Novak Djokovic’s great return to the top. In the wake of a double Wimbledon-US Open and a new coronation in Shanghai, he lines up in Paris with the aim of becoming world number 1 again. While remaining at 22 wins (excluding the Laver Cup), the Serbian still falls by the bone in the final in the person of Karen Khachanov on a cloud. At the age of 21, the Russian realizes what remains to this day the tournament of his life, beating in passing four Top 10 (John Isner, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and then Novak Djokovic). Dominated in power, Djokovic also physically pays for the anthology success of the day before in the semifinal against Roger Federer (7-6, 5-7, 7-6 in 3:03). The only failure of him in the final mitigated by the regaining of the throne the following week.

2019: Young people will wait

• Opponent: Denis Shapovalov
• Score: 6-3, 6-4

2021: A tasty rematch

• Opponent: Daniel Medvedev
• Score: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Novak Djokovic has therefore not lost to Bercy for four years and the 2018 final. Because after missing the 2020 edition, he triumphed again in 2021, for the sixth time. And at the same time, he took hellish revenge. Because two months earlier, Daniil Medvedev had deprived him in Flushing Meadows of a more accomplished feat since 1969: the Grand Slam calendar. The Serbian hadn’t played since, Bercy served as a catch-up tournament. And when he loses the first round against his US Open executioner, we think he has no solution. On the contrary! Dominated in the long exchanges, he then decides to take the network route. A paid initiative that allows him to get a tasty comeback. He is the boss.