Novak Djokovic may have handed Rafael Nadal just his third defeat at the French Open in an epic semi-final that last more than four hours but he still has Stefanos Tsitsipas to overcome in his search for a 19th Grand Slam title.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Novak Djokovic faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the 2021 French Open on Sunday
• Tsitsipas is playing a Grand Slam final for the first time while Djokovic is in his 29th
• Djokovic will come to within one of Nadal and Federer’s Grand Slam win record if he beats Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic may have done the unthinkable by overcoming Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the French Open but even a victory as seismic as that will mean little for the Serb if he is not able to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final on Sunday.

This will be Djokovic’s 29th Grand Slam final and he will be facing a man who is playing at this stage of a major for the first time ever. Tsitsipas reached the semi-final of the Australian Open this year, where he was beaten by Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev eventually lost to Djokovic himself and the latter thus sealed his 18th Grand Slam win.

On Sunday, a win for Djokovic will move him within just one of the men’s-record 20 Grand Slam wins accumulated by his two great rivals, Nadal and Roger Federer.

“It’s not the first time that I play an epic semifinal in a Grand Slam and then I have to come back in less than 48 hours and play a final. My recovery abilities are pretty good, I must say, throughout my career,” Djokovic said. “I know what I need to do. Obviously, Tsitsipas, first time in the finals of a Grand Slam, if I’m not mistaken – for him, it’s a great achievement, but I’m sure he doesn’t want to stop there.”

Neither, of course, does Djokovic. The world No.1 doesn’t enter Grand Slam tournaments to get to finals. He has made perfectly clear that all he really cares about at this stage of his career is winning them, and a victory over Tsitsipas would give the 34-year-old from Serbia a second French Open title. It would also be Djokovic’s seventh title in a span of 11 Slams.

A win on Sunday will also mean that Djokovic would join Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men in tennis history to win each of the four major tournaments at least twice, something even Nadal and Federer haven’t been able to do.

There were two first-time Grand Slam finalists in the women’s title match Saturday afternoon in Paris, and unseeded Barbora Krejcikova beat No. 31 Anastasia Pavlychenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 for the trophy.

Speaking at around midnight as Friday turned to Saturday after his 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 triumph dropped Nadal’s record at Roland Garros to 105-3 — two of those defeats were against Djokovic — the No. 1 seed in the men’s draw said he would take some time to catch his breath before thinking about what to do against Tsitsipas.

“I’m not the freshest guy right now, obviously. But (the) good thing is that I have a day and a half to rejuvenate and try to regroup,” Djokovic said. “Right now, it’s all about resting and hopefully being able to be fit to compete in the best-of-five with a guy who is in a great shape.”

Djokovic has won five of their previous seven encounters, although Tsitsipas did push him to five sets before losing in the semifinals of the 2020 French Open.

“I know it’s going to be another tough one,” Djokovic said. “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.”

He’s the fourth-oldest finalist at Roland Garros in the Open era, which dates to 1968; the 22-year-old Tsitsipas is the youngest since Nadal won the title in 2005.

The age gap between Djokovic and Tsitsipas is the largest for a French Open men’s final since Mats Wilander, 17, defeated Guillermo Vilas, 29, in 1982.

“I’m looking forward (to) leaving my entire body on the court,” Tsitsipas said.

There has been steady progress toward this moment by Tsitsipas, who leads the men’s tour in total match wins (39) and clay-court victories (22) this season.

“I’m not the freshest guy right now, obviously. But (the) good thing is that I have a day and a half to rejuvenate and try to regroup,” Djokovic said. “Right now, it’s all about resting and hopefully being able to be fit to compete in the best-of-five with a guy who is in a great shape.”

Djokovic has won five of their previous seven encounters, although Tsitsipas did push him to five sets before losing in the semifinals of the 2020 French Open.

“I know it’s going to be another tough one,” Djokovic said. “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.”

He’s the fourth-oldest finalist at Roland Garros in the Open era, which dates to 1968; the 22-year-old Tsitsipas is the youngest since Nadal won the title in 2005.

The age gap between Djokovic and Tsitsipas is the largest for a French Open men’s final since Mats Wilander, 17, defeated Guillermo Vilas, 29, in 1982.

“I’m looking forward (to) leaving my entire body on the court,” Tsitsipas said.

There has been steady progress toward this moment by Tsitsipas, who leads the men’s tour in total match wins (39) and clay-court victories (22) this season.