Roland-Garros 2023 in pictures: 'I didn't think about being the greatest', bizarre Novak Djokovic claim undone by detail in jacket

Just as he did to Melbourne Park for the Australian Open final in January, Novak Djokovic came prepared to the Court Philippe Chatrier for the Roland-Garros final against Casper Ruud.

After winning his 23rd Grand Slam, Djoker pulled out a red jacket emblazoned with 23 - the now-record number of Grand Slam titles the Serbian has won.

"I don't want to say that I am the greatest because I feel it's disrespectful towards all the great champions in different eras of our sport that was played in a completely different way than it is played today."

He is now the most successful man in the history of the sport, and is now equal with Serena Williams for the overall record.

"Those two guys were occupying my mind for the last 15 years quite a lot," he said of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. "So it's amazing to know that I'm one ahead.

"I leave those kind of discussions of who is the greatest to someone else. I have, of course, huge faith and confidence and belief in myself and for everything that I am and who I am and what I am capable of doing.

While he may not want to say he's the greatest, he certainly enjoys reminding the world how successful he is. A closer look at his 23 jacket reveals it's made of the Lacoste crocodile logos.

Djokovic won his first title at the Australian Open way back in 2008. And he's not done yet.

"I feel incredibly proud, fulfilled. Of course the journey is still not over. I feel, if I'm winning slams, why even think about ending the career that already has been going on for 20 years?"

"I still feel motivated, I still feel inspired to play the best tennis at these tournaments the most. I look forward already to Wimbledon."

The third slam of the year at the All-England Club begins in just three weeks on July 3.

Casper Ruud was never really in the fight against Novak Djokovic.

In humid and overcast conditions, it took the Serbian a little while to get dialled in, but once he did, Ruud never got another look in.

In winning her third Roland-Garros title and second in successive years, Iga Swiatek was unable to keep a lid on her celebrations, or apparently the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup.

After she was presented the trophy, Swiatek raised the trophy and then watched helplessly as the lid flew off and onto the clay below.

Swiatek was standing on a significantly raised platform, and had to enlist the help of French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton to fetch the lid below.

She then left it on the platform and celebrated again.

In her press conference, Swiatek chuckled, but confirmed the lid had survived.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for that".

"I honestly thought I was holding it with my fingers. All these emotions must have caused that. 

"I don't mean to be disrespectful. I'm glad the Suzanne-Lenglen trophy is fine, hopefully I get a chance to hold it again in future years."

Karolina Muchova took it to Swiatek, and was the only one all tournament to take a set off the World No.1.

Alexander Zverev voiced his frustration after not being allowed to take insulin on the court during his round-of-16 match against Grigor Dimitrov.

"At ATP tournaments it is very easy. I inject the insulin on the court during the changeovers like you all see it regularly. Here in Paris, it is not allowed for me on the court. They said I need to leave the court. During my last match they told me then this would count as a toilet break," he said via Jannik Schneider.

"I replied: 'Guys, come on! I only have two toilet breaks in a match but in a best-of-five-match sometimes I have to inject four, or five times' So I told them that it can not be like this because this would mean that something is not allowed what is necessary for my well-being, for my life.

"During the second round there was a discussion so I went out to inject the insulin. Then a supervisor entered the room that did not know about this and he got panic and said: 'No, No you can't do that. A doctor needs to come to inject it.

"I told him that this is a wrongdoing because a normal doctor can't help me, if he is not specialised he has not the right data how much I have to inject. So I told them: 'Look I have had diabetes since I am three years old I know exactly what to do.' But he just replied: 'No, a doctor has to do it.

"So this was another discussion. Today. I finally told them: please tell me what I need to do - and then it's OK, if I need to do it outside I'm happy to do it there it just takes five seconds. Just let me do it, better on-court.

"But they said it looks weird when I do this on court. But this is not a clever take because if I don't do it, my life will be in danger. But they said it looks weird. I said: 'How does it look like? That I dope myself?' This discussion makes no sense."

Aryna Sabalenka returned to press conferences at Roland-Garros after her straight sets win over Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

She missed two such sessions because, she said, she "did not feel safe" after being asked about Belarus and Ukraine at her news conference last week — which was attended by a journalist from Ukraine who now is no longer at the tournament — and wanted to protect her "mental health and wellbeing".

One of the topics of earlier news conferences was raised again: her relationship with Belarus' authoritarian leader, President Alexander Lukashenko.

"I don't want my country to be involved in any conflict. I said it many times, and you know where I stand. You have my position. You have my answer. I answered it many times. I'm not supporting the war," Sabalenka said, adding a moment later: "I don't want to be involved in any politics. I just want to be a tennis player."

A reporter asked whether she supports Lukashenko.

"It's a tough question," Sabalenka said. "I mean, I don't support war, meaning I don't support Lukashenko right now."

Coco Gauff wanted to play Iga Swiatek at Roland-Garros again.

Gauff will get that matchup in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night — a year after losing to Swiatek in the final in Paris.

Swiatek won her second championship on the red clay of Paris by defeating Gauff in straight sets in 2022. That is part of a 6-0 career edge Swiatek holds head-to-head.

"It would be almost cowardly to say that I want to not face the noise and not face the challenge," said Gauff, a 19-year-old from Florida, "but I think that I'm up for it. I have improved a lot since last year, and she has, too."

Roland-Garros organisers will celebrate a "Pride Day" on Thursday (AEST) to mark the 10th anniversary of the first same-sex marriage in France.

The country saw its first gay weddings in 2013 after then-President Francois Hollande signed a law authorizing marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, ending months of nationwide protests.

Organizers said the Roland Garros grounds will be dressed up in rainbow colours and fans will be able to get temporary "Pride Day" tattoos.

"The LED lighting on the courts will glow in the rainbow colours, and the Roland-Garros social media pages will also be getting a makeover for the day," the French tennis federation said.

Before Novak Djokovic's press conference following his win over Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich to reach the round of 16, a reporter handed the world No.3 several gifts, including a bunch of bananas.

The whole episode helped shed at least a little light on his "Iron Man" magnet episode from a couple of days prior.

"Nole, congratulations," a reporter says in Serbian, in comments translated on social media. "Before we start, considering your team sometimes forgets to bring you bananas, dates and water, we prepared for you – bananas, dates."

Djokovic began to laugh, saying: "Bananas, magnets, Iron Man, date,"

He then turned to a media official off-camera and said: "We'll explain later."

After thanking the reporters, Djokovic put the French Open magnet on his chest and made an Iron Man pose before holding up all the gifts for photographs.

Jessica Pegula was sent packing after a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Elise Mertens, a far earlier exit than the American has been used to at Grand Slam tournaments lately.

Pegula was a quarter-finalist at four of the five most recent majors, including a year ago at Roland Garros.

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up to Djokovic in Paris two years ago and at the Australian Open this year accounted for Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

"It wasn't easy at all," Tsitsipas said of his straight-sets win. "I know it was three sets, [but it was] so far my most difficult match in terms of concentration and having to stay in there on every single point. Diego did a great job fighting on every single point and not giving me any free points. I knew that I was dealing with that today and that was the biggest asset of his game which I had to take away. Patience — that's what I learned today."

Cameron Norrie's campaign ended with a straight-sets loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.

It is the third year in a row the British No 1 has fallen in the last 32, and he only managed to mount any real challenge in the third set before going down 6-1 6-2 6-4 in two hours and eight minutes on Court Simonne Mathieu.

Norrie said in the lead up he wasn't distracted by a potential clash against Alcaraz next round. Perhaps he underestimated Musetti a touch.

The most intriguing third-round match involves two teenagers who have practiced with each other: American Coco Gauff, who is 19, and Russian Mirra Andreeva, who is 16.

There's no doubt Gauff has a significant advantage in experience: She's been participating in majors since 2019, was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022 and is seeded No. 6 this time.

Andreeva is ranked 143rd and is making her debut at a Grand Slam tournament.

Daniel Altmaier of Germany broke down crying after beating men's No.8 seed Jannik Sinner in the second round.

The world No.79 saved match points and then outlasted Sinner in a match that lasted five hours and 26 minutes - the fifth longest in Roland-Garros history.

When asked why he was so emotional after the win, he replied, "I just love the game of tennis, that's why".