Twenty-three is a special number in sports. Everybody knows that. Novak Djokovic sure did. That’s why he pointed at his red jacket in celebration after taking home the French Open title – his third ever – at Roland-Garros yesterday. While the jacket itself was not part of the trophy itself (like that famous green one they hand out in Augusta), it still held a special meaning for the Djoker.
On the right side of the chest of this particularly eye-catching red jacket, numerous crocodiles – the iconic symbol of legendary tennis manufacturer Lacoste – make up two numbers, a two and a three. Now more than ever, those numbers signify the G.O.A.T. status in tennis, and brought a joyful smile on the Djoker’s face.
With his 23rd Grand Slam championship trophy secured on Sunday, Novak Djokovic becomes the second professional tennis player in history to reach this mark, tying Serena Williams as the sport’s undisputed greatest players of all time.
In his post-game speech, the 36-year-old thanked the crowd – that not only included his family but a who-is-who of sports superstars and other potential members of the capra species in Tom Brady and Zlatan Ibrahimović – but left his place in the history books up for others to debate. However, the number on his jacket just might make the case for him though.
