CNN –
Novak Djokovic won the US Open on Sunday by beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in the men’s final and increasing his record Grand Slam singles title to 24.
The world No. 2 has further cemented himself as one of the greatest tennis players of all time – with Sunday’s win he equals Margaret Court’s record for most Grand Slam titles of all time.
In a rematch of the 2021 US Open final, the Serb avenged his defeat against No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York and completed his triumphant return to the United States.
Playing in front of a who’s who crowd, Djokovic was in his usual dominant form in the first set, never having to accept a break point and scoring twelve winners in nine games. Tonight at the US Open, Djokovic was 72-1 up when he won the first set. His only defeat came in the 2016 final against Stan Wawrinka.
The second set proved more competitive as Djokovic and Medvedev engaged in a tense back-and-forth match that culminated in the Serb’s 7-5 tiebreak win after an hour and 45 minutes.
From there, with the momentum in his favor and a fourth US Open title just a set away, Djokovic cruised to victory, needing just one championship point to secure the historic title.
With the victory, the 36-year-old becomes the oldest man to win the US Open singles title in the Open era and the first man to win three Grand Slam titles in one season for the fourth time – previously in the years 2011, 2015 and 2015 2021.
Djokovic also extends his lead over Spain’s Rafael Nadal (22) and Switzerland’s Roger Federer (20) for the most men’s singles titles of all time.
At every Grand Slam this year, Djokovic has had the opportunity to make history.
At the Australian Open he equaled Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles, at the French Open he prevailed with a men’s record 23 Grand Slam titles and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Standing in his way on Sunday was third seed Daniil Medvedev, who stunned Alcaraz in the semifinals and previously defeated Djokovic in straight sets in a US Open final.
Although Medvedev’s game is still perfectly suited to the fast hard courts, he expected Djokovic to be “ten times better than he was that day.”
“It’s the same against Novak. “He is always better than the last time he plays,” Medvedev said, according to the ATP Tour. “For example, I beat him in the US Open final, he beat me in Bercy in a great match. Carlos beat him at Wimbledon, he beat him at Cincinnati. Novak will be his best version on Sunday and I have to be the best version of myself if I want to try to beat him.”
Djokovic has not been vaccinated against Covid-19 and has not been able to enter the country for two years. However, vaccination requirements for non-US travelers were lifted earlier this year, allowing Djokovic to return.
The Serb will have the opportunity to pass Court and make his mark as the all-time most successful player at the Australian Open in January 2024.
The last time Djokovic and Medvedev played each other in a Grand Slam final, it was the Russian who threw out all odds and thwarted Djokovic’s bid to win what was then a record-breaking 21st Slam and first Grand Slam calendar of men – winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same year – since Rod Laver in 1969.
Since Medvedev won his first-ever Grand Slam at the US Open in 2021, he is on the verge of another victory. In the Australian Open 2022 final against Nadal, he took a two-set lead but ultimately succumbed to defeat.
Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images
Daniil Medvedev won the 2021 US Open.
“The challenge is you’re playing against a guy who’s won 23 Grand Slams and I’ve only won one,” he said, according to the US Open. “When I beat him here (in the 2021 final), I managed to play better than myself and I have to do it again. There is no other way.”
At 36, Djokovic could become the oldest man to win the US Open singles title in the Open era, surpassing Ken Rosewall’s record set in 1970.
“Any Grand Slam final could be the last,” he told reporters before the final. “Ten years ago I thought, ‘Hey, I still have a few years left.’ I don’t know how many I have ahead of me now or how many years I have left [can] Play four Slams throughout the season. So I’m aware of the occasion.”
It will be Djokovic’s 101st game at the US Open, a tournament he has won three times in his career but not since 2018.
Djokovic had a relatively straightforward route to the final. Aside from surviving a scare in the third round when he was two sets down against compatriot Laslo Djere, he finished every other game in just three sets, minimizing his time on the court and pushing the competition aside.
It’s a remarkable conclusion to a year in which he reached the finals of every Grand Slam and added two more titles to his collection, after a 2022 in which he was unable to compete in either Australia or the United States due to his decision to remain unvaccinated COVID-19 could take place.
For Medvedev, playing in the US Open final was the culmination of an impressive hard-court season in which he reached five consecutive finals on the surface and won four titles.
His performance against Alcaraz in the semifinals showcased his powerful serve, punching power and tenacity, all of which made him a difficult opponent for Djokovic.
“You want to fight to the end, you want to win,” Medvedev said, according to ATP. “And that’s how you should be in the final of a Grand Slam.”