World number one Novak Djokovic defeated Stefano Tsisipas 6-0 7-6 (7-5) in the Italian Open to claim his first title of 2022 and his first piece of silverware for six months.
Last year, Djokovic was in the spotlight after being deported ahead of the Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status. His previous triumph came when he lifted the Paris Master trophy in November.
The Serb finished the tournament in Rome without dropping a single set, having picked up his 1,000th tour victory by beating Casper Ruud in the semifinal to set up a final date with Tsitsipas – a repeat of last year’s French Open final, which Djokovic won.
“I’ve been building my form the last few weeks. It couldn’t be better timing coming into Roland Garros. Perfect scenario for me,” Djokovic said. “This year, it was a particular situation. With everything that happened in Australia, it took some time. I found my best shape here. I’m going to Paris with a lot of confidence.”
It has been the perfect week for the 34-year-old, who became only the fifth man in the Open Era to reach the 1,000 wins milestone after Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafa Nadal, ahead of the start of the French Open next Sunday.
