Novak Djokovic refused to let Daniil Medvedev thwart his pursuit of history for a second time. In a fierce battle, Djokovic triumphed over the Russian with a score of 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 to secure the U.S. Open title on Sunday. This victory also marked a historic milestone as Djokovic equalled Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic’s latest triumph, his fourth U.S. Open victory in ten finals at Flushing Meadows, capped off yet another exceptional season. Earlier in the year, he had claimed victories at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. As a result of this win, he was set to return to the pinnacle of the world rankings, with an update scheduled for the following day.
Notably, no male player had achieved a calendar Grand Slam in 54 years, and while Djokovic had come close, he fell short in a gruelling five-set Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz. Nonetheless, for the moment, he relished his 24th Grand Slam title.
“It means the world to me,” he remarked. “I’m truly living my childhood dream. Making history in this sport is something truly remarkable, and it’s hard to find the words to describe it. I had this childhood dream when I was just seven or eight years old—I wanted to become the best player in the world.”
In addition to pursuing his dream, Djokovic continued to stake his claim as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. At 36, he became the oldest U.S. Open men’s champion in the Open Era. However, his hunger for Grand Slam titles remained undiminished, and he had a message for his younger competitors: “I guess you’ll see me a bit more. I don’t have a specific number of Slams in mind that I want to win. I will continue to prioritise them as my most important tournaments where I want to play my best tennis.”
After securing this historic title, Djokovic celebrated by tossing his racquet into the air and dropping to his knees while the crowd erupted in cheers. He then embraced his young daughter courtside in an emotional moment before retrieving a T-shirt with ‘Mamba Forever’ on the front and the number 24 on the back. This shirt paid tribute to his achievement and honoured his late friend, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who wore the number 24 during much of his illustrious career before tragically passing away in a helicopter crash. Djokovic shared, “I had thought about doing this T-shirt if I got the chance to win the tournament. Kobe was a close friend, and we often discussed the mentality of winners. When I was struggling with injuries, he was one of the people I leaned on the most.”
Throughout the match, neither Djokovic nor Medvedev received wholehearted support from the New York crowds, and the atmosphere was not as electric as during the women’s final the previous day. Djokovic’s opponent, Medvedev, had previously denied him a calendar Grand Slam in the 2021 U.S. Open final, but Djokovic approached this rematch with a focus on learning rather than seeking revenge.
“I haven’t played a tournament on American soil for two years,” Djokovic explained, referencing his absence due to COVID-19 restrictions in the previous year. “In the last 48 hours, I tried not to let the significance of the moment and the pressure get to me. Two years ago, that’s what happened, and I wasn’t able to perform at my best. I was outplayed, so I learned my lesson.”
The contest between the two premier hardcourt players was characterised by intense rallies from the baseline. Djokovic seized an early advantage, breaking Medvedev at the first opportunity and racing to a 3-0 lead. Despite Medvedev’s efforts in a gruelling second set that lasted one hour and 44 minutes, he was unable to secure a crucial break that could have given him the set. Djokovic ultimately claimed the tiebreaker 7-5 to take a 2-0 lead.
Djokovic’s killer instinct was on full display as he wasted no time in extending his advantage by breaking Medvedev to go up 3-1 in the third set. Although Medvedev managed to break back once, it wasn’t enough to thwart Djokovic, who responded with another break and held serve for the remainder of the match, ultimately clinching the U.S. Open title.
