Novak Djokovic handled the weight of history to defeat Daniil Mevedev on Sunday in the men’s singles final of the 2023 US Open. With a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 victory, the 36-year-old won his 24th Grand Slam singles title, tying Margaret Court’s record and strengthening his bid to be considered the greatest tennis player of all time.
In a roller-coaster match, Djokovic went from clinical to clinging to victory as he battled fatigue and saved a set point in a 104-minute second set. After fending off Medvedev’s first two break points, Djokovic got the better of himself in the tie-break, in which he lost three long, grueling rallies, but won the fourth to string together the three-point run that snatched the set.
In the third set, Djokovic looked fresher and with the title in sight. He broke in consecutive return games, either side of Medvedev’s first break of the match, and claimed his fourth US Open crown shortly thereafter.
I do not know how to start this is very significant for me, I am living my childhood dream, to compete at this level, with my family we have had to survive two wars, my father sacrificed a lot for me to play a sport that was expensive, it was not affordable, no one in my family had played it, but I fell in love with this sport, look silence and those who have believed in me are responsible for this title.
Said Novak
Although Medvedev did not have the elite serving day that helped him defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, the third seed again shined from the baseline, constantly testing Djokovic with incredible depth and persistent power. Still, Djokovic maintained control throughout the first set and a half, expertly redirecting Medvedev’s best attacks and working the sidelines to great effect.
The Serb did not have any break points until he got rid of one at 3-4 and another at 5-6 of the set. Late in the set and in the deciding tie-break, Medvedev slowed the pace of his strokes in an apparent effort to attack Djokovic’s legs. The tactic worked, as he won three rallies of 17 balls or more in the tie-break, but Djokovic won a 21-ball exchange to level at 5-5 before a big serve and a backhand error by Medvedev ended the set.
The third set was settled in 45 minutes, less than half the time of the second, and Djokovic won two more long rallies in the final game as a final stamp of authority.
Instead of relying on his famous baseline play throughout the match, Djokovic repeatedly attacked the net to counter Medvedev’s deep return position, winning 20 of 22 serve-and-volley points and 37 of 44 net points overall.
WHAT IT MEANS
Djokovic, who is already the sole record holder for men’s Grand Slam singles titles, now overtakes Serena Williams and ties Margaret Court at 24 at the top of the all-time list. He is also two majors ahead of Rafael Nadal (22) and four ahead of Roger Federer (20).
After winning his 36th Grand Slam singles final, Djokovic has become the first man to win three singles Grand Slams in the same season on four occasions (2011, 2015, 2021, 2023). That number of finals also matches the Serb’s age; at 36, he is the oldest US Open men’s singles champion in the Open Era. He is 12-3 in Grand Slam finals at age 30, surpassing a mark of 12-9 at 20.
Djokovic now has a 4-6 record in his 10 US Open men’s singles finals. Bill Tilden also reached 10 US Open finals, winning seven in the 1920s.
MATCH POINT: Djokovic, who now has 10 wins and five losses in head-to-heads against Medvedev, got his US Open revenge two years after Medvedev robbed him of a Grand Slam in the 2021 New York final. After a straight-sets loss in that match, the Serb flipped the script on Sunday with a three-set victory.
@ronny-herrera Fuente: US Open Oficial
