Novak Djokovic emerged from an exciting and exhausting US Open final with a 24th Grand Slam title, using all his energy and some serve-and-volley trickery to beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 ( 5), 6-3 in a match that was more closely contested than the straight-set score indicated.
On Sunday, Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, moved one major singles title ahead of Serena Williams, becoming the first player to win 24 in the Open era that began in 1968. Margaret Court also collected a total of 24 titles. but 13 of those came before professionals were allowed into the Slam events.
There were moments, especially in the second set of one hour and 44 minutes, which were as much about tenacity as talent, when Djokovic seemed to falter. After some of the most grueling points – and there were many – he would lean forward with his hands on his knees, use his racket for support or pause to stretch his legs.
This victory against Medvedev, the opponent who defeated him in the 2021 final at Flushing Meadows and denied a bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam in more than half a century, made Djokovic the oldest male champion at the US Open in the Open. era.
Djokovic’s fourth championship in New York, which he could not participate in a year ago because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, will join his ten trophies from the Australian Open, seven from Wimbledon and three from the French Open, expanding his lead on the men’s Slam list.
Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since January due to a hip problem that required surgery, is next at 22; Roger Federer, who announced his retirement a year ago, finished at twenty.
As good as ever, Djokovic went 27-1 in the sport’s most prestigious events this season. The only downside was a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July. Djokovic rises to number one in the rankings on Monday, overtaking Alcaraz, who was defending champion at Flushing Meadows but was eliminated by number three Medvedev.
At the start on Sunday, with the retractable roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium closed due to forecast rain, Djokovic felt as comfortable as possible. No trace of the event weighing on him, no trace of the tension he briefly acknowledged emerged late in his semi-final against unseeded American Ben Shelton.
While Djokovic and Medvedev are intriguing figures, neither has been fully embraced by the New York crowd.
Certainly there was little of the electricity that crackled through Arthur Ashe during the women’s final on Saturday, with no apparent support for either player from an attentive but subdued crowd.
As expected in a match featuring the sport’s two best hardcourt players, almost every point was contested with long rallies, with both men pounding away at each other from the baseline.
Djokovic came out with purpose and immediately applied pressure, breaking the third seed at the first opportunity on his way to a 3-0 lead.
That would be the only break Djokovic would need against a surprisingly flat Medvedev who could not produce a single break chance in the first set.
During a second set of an hour and 44 minutes at the marathon, Medvedev would find that life forced a tiring Djokovic into long grind after grind.
But the tireless Russian’s hard work would not pay off as he failed to convert any of his few break chances, including one at 6-5 that would have given him the set.
Medvedev stormed into the tiebreak with a 3-1 lead, but again could not deliver the knockout blow as Djokovic came off the ropes to take the score at 7-5, with a 2-0 lead.
If there’s one thing Djokovic possesses, it’s a killer instinct, and the Serb wasted no time in breaking Medvedev to take a 3-1 lead in the third.
A defiant Medvedev responded with his first and only break of the match, but it wasn’t enough as Djokovic immediately hit back with another break and then held on for the rest of the time to clinch the title.
A jubilant Djokovic shared his thoughts.
“It obviously means everything to me [winning the US Open],” he said. “I am living my childhood dream to compete at the highest level in the sport. It has given me and my family so much.”