The Serb, 29, recovered from losing the opening set to register a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win in three hours and become the first man since Australia’s Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams simultaneously. 

Having beaten Murray in the Australian Open final earlier this year, Djokovic could yet match Laver's achievement of winning all four in a calendar year with success at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Second seed Murray was aiming to become the first British man to win the French Open since 1935, but was unable to maintain the high standards he set in the opener and deny Djokovic a 12th Grand Slam crown. 

With three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten watching from the stands, Djokovic then emulated the Brazilian, also known as Guga, by drawing a heart in the clay with his racquet.

"It's a very special moment, the biggest of my career," said Djokovic, who has become only the eighth man in history to have won all four of tennis' major singles prizes

"I felt today something that I never felt before at Roland Garros - I felt the love of the crowd.

"I drew the heart on the court, like Guga, which he gave me permission to do.

"My heart will always be with you on this court."

Djokovic came flying out of the traps today, breaking Murray’s serve to love with a superb opening game as he looked to banish the memory of losing in three previous French Open finals.

Murray responded superbly though to seal a break of his own in the second game with a magnificent lob before going on to race into a 4-1 lead.

The Scot clinched the first set at the third opportunity and looked to be carrying momentum into the second as he earned an early break point. 

It proved to be a false dawn, however, as Djokovic begun the turnaround with a smash before snatching the lead when Murray double-faulted at break point down.

Djokovic swiftly levelled the match and continued to apply pressure in the third, setting up a break point at 1-1 which was converted when Murray dropped a volley into the net.

Back in front, Djokovic broke again on his way to taking a two-sets-to-one advantage and continued to dominate in the fourth.

Two breaks of serve saw him establish a 5-2 lead and although Murray got one of the breaks back and saved two match points, a backhand into the net handed his opponent a historic victory.

Murray, who had hoped to secure the third leg of his own career Grand Slam having already won Wimbledon and the US Open, has now lost five Grand Slam finals to Djokovic.

The 29-year-old was Britain's first male finalist in Paris since 1937.