Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Sunday to win his fourth US Open and a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. This solidified his claim as the best tennis player in history.
The 36-year-old Djokovic won 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), and 6-3 to become the oldest men’s winner in New York during the Open era and tie Margaret Court’s all-time record for most Grand Slam wins.
“I’m not sure where to begin. During the prize presentation, Djokovic wore a white jacket with the number 24 on the chest. He said, “It means everything to me.”
“It’s hard to put into words. It has been my dream since I was a kid to fight at the highest level of this sport.
“I never thought I’d be standing here talking about my 24 Grand Slams, but in the last few years I’ve felt like I have a chance and a shot at history, so why not take it?”
The Serbian is the first person to win three Grand Slam events in the same season four times. This victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium was a great way to celebrate his upcoming return to the top spot in the world rankings.
This year, he had already won the Australian and French Opens. His only loss was to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July, which took five sets.
“You know, there are some people who are born smart. He’s like no one else. Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach, said, “There aren’t many athletes in the world like him.”
“This is one of the most important things to happen in the history of the sport.”
Medvedev lost his fourth Grand Slam final against either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. This was his fifth Grand Slam final.
“First, I’d like to ask Novak: Why are you still here? “Hurry up! Medvedev joked.
“I’m not sure when you’re going to slow down a bit.
“Well, 24. I don’t think my job is bad, and I have 20 titles. You have won 24 Grand Slams. Wow.”
Medvedev beat Djokovic in the 2021 final in straight sets. This kept the Serbian from becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four Grand Slams in the same year.
Djokovic said he felt stressed at the time, but he didn’t show any signs of anxiety as he quickly took control of Sunday’s championship match.
The second seed, who missed last year’s US Open because he refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, started off strong with a confident hold and finished by consecutive aces. He broke Medvedev at the first chance, taking a 2-0 lead after Medvedev made a double fault.
Before Medvedev got on the board in the fourth game, he added to his lead with a third ace.
Holds were mostly easy for both players until Djokovic put pressure on Medvedev again when the third seed was serving down 2-5.
Medvedev fought hard to avoid set points twice, but Djokovic won the set with ease in the next game.
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