French Open: Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas chasing their own slice of history in Sunday's final

There are few certainties in life and indeed sport, although there is always a sense of inevitability when Rafael Nadal sets foot on the red dirt at Roland Garros. Yet, for the first time since 2016, the indomitable 'King of Clay' will not feature in Sunday's French Open showpiece.

Novak Djokovic produced one of the greatest performances of his illustrious career to defeat the Spaniard in an astonishing semi-final contest on Friday, prevailing 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in four hours and 11 minutes to hand Nadal his first loss from being a set up on the Parisian Clay.

It was a seismic win for the Serb, who is now bidding to make history by becoming the first male player in the modern era to have won every Grand Slam at least twice. The opponent standing in his way is fifth-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas - appearing in his first Slam final.

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Djokovic described his triumph over Nadal as a match he will "remember forever", and, while he is an overwhelming favourite to capture his 19th Grand Slam crown on Sunday, he insists complacency will not be a factor.

Djokovic: I know what I need to do

"Definitely the best match that I was part of ever in Roland Garros for me, and top three matches that I ever played in my entire career."

"It is not the first time that I play an epic semi-final in a Grand Slam and then I have to come back in less than 48 hours and play finals. My recover abilities are pretty good, I must say, throughout my career. I know what I need to do," Djokovic said after beating Nadal.

"Obviously, Tsitsipas, first time in the finals of a Grand Slam. For him it's a great achievement, but I'm sure he doesn't want to stop there. He's in great form. I think he leads rankings, race rankings, this year. He's had his best results overall. I think he matured as a player a lot.

"Clay is arguably his best surface. We played an epic five-setter last year in the semis here. I know it's going to be another tough one. I'm hoping I can recharge my batteries as much as I can because I'm going to need some power and energy for that one."

The 34-year-old's pursuit of history has invariably dominated the narrative, but Tsitsipas has also broken new ground in Paris, and now he is just one win away from creating his own slice of history.

Tsitsipas living his French Open dream

" I came back, I stayed alive, the crowd were behind me, cheering me on. They were giving me their energy. I still felt like there was hope and opportunities for me to fight back."

The 22-year-old became the first Greek player to reach a Grand Slam final after defying a valiant fightback from Alexander Zverev to prevail in a five-set thriller - ending his run of three consecutive Grand Slam semi-final exits.

Tsitsipas has enjoyed a remarkable ascent since registering his first victory on the ATP Tour in 2017, and, reflecting on his exploits post-match, the enigmatic Greek was overcome with emotion.

"All I can think of is my roots, and where I came from. I came from a small place outside Athens. My dream was to play here, to play on the big stage of the French Open one day. I never thought I would do it," he admitted.

"Your only job is to go out there and fight, and that's what I did. It was very difficult, very emotional. I went through a lot of phases of emotional breakdowns, but this win means a lot - it is the most important one of my career so far."

Head-to-Head

Djokovic has won five of the pair's seven meetings, and the world No 1 triumphed in their solitary best-of-five-sets encounter at Roland Garros last year; defying a terrific comeback from the 22-year-old in an absorbing semi-final.

Tsitsipas has lost all three of his clay-court encounters against the 18-time Grand Slam champion - including their most recent tussle in May's Italian Open.

However, there are positives for the world No 5. As Djokovic acknowledged himself, Tsitsipas has evolved as a player over the last 12 months. He has won more matches on clay in 2021 than any other player - scooping titles in Monte Carlo and Lyon.

Experience could be crucial in Sunday's finale. Tsitsipas is appearing in his maiden Grand Slam final, while Djokovic is set to feature in his 29th, having now made the final of each Grand Slam at least six times - another all-time record.

History beckons at Roland Garros

It promises to be a fascinating contest. The 22-year-old Greek boasts a big first serve, a thunderous forehand and, despite his towering frame, his movement allows him to dominate from the baseline.

Nevertheless, he is up against arguably the greatest returner of serve the sport has ever seen. Djokovic's display against Nadal defied logic - a man with 105 wins from 107 matches at Roland Garros was brutally worn down by the unrelenting genius of his opponent.

That is the size of the task facing Tsitsipas, who can become the youngest male Grand Slam winner since Juan Martin del Potro, who was 20 when he secured the US Open title in 2009.

The fifth seed has only relinquished three sets in reaching the final, therefore he will be relatively fresh in comparison to Djokovic, who has surrendered four sets across three bruising contests this week.

The world No 1 is on the verge of history. His 19th Grand Slam triumph would take him to within one of Nadal and Roger Federer's record tally, while also making him the first open era player to claim a career double in all four Grand Slams.

Meanwhile, Tsitsipas is bidding to fulfil his destiny by adding his name to the roll of honour on Court Philippe-Chatrier, by becoming the first Greek to lift a Grand Slam title.

We have come to expected the unexpected at this year's French Open, but we can guarantee that history will be made on Sunday, in what promises to be a fitting finale.

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