Novak Djokovic has surpassed Serena Williams in Grand Slam singles titles (Picture: AFP)
Novak Djokovic has won the US Open with a 6-3 7-6 6-3 win over Russian third-seed Daniil Medvedev to secure a historic 24th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic now holds the most major singles titles of any male or female player in the Open Era – moving past Serena Williams’ 23 – and the 36-year-old has also tied Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles trophies for the most in history.
It has been a superb year for Djokovic, who has become just the third player to win the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and US Open men’s singles titles in the same calendar year after Rod Laver and Mats Wilander did it in 1969 and 1988.
This year’s victory over Medvedev at Flushing Meadows marks revenge for Djokovic after the two men met in the 2021 final in New York, with the Russian coming out on top to deny the Serbian an incredible calendar Grand Slam.
Djokovic, who has also become the oldest player to win the US Open men’s singles title in the Open Era and just the second player to win multiple Grand Slam titles after turning 36, got off to a strong start with a hold before going 40-love up in game two, securing the early break with his first chance to take a 2-0 lead.
The opening set was likely to be crucial in determining the champion – given that incoming world No.1 Djokovic had a 71-1 record when winning the first set heading into the final, compared to Medvedev’s 47-1 – and it was the Serbian who looked well in control as he dominated the longer rallies to open up a 4-1 lead.
Medvedev responded with a hold but Djokovic’s impressive serving and volleying proved to be too much as he failed to knock up a single break-point opportunity – and after a trade of service games in which the 27-year-old was forced to save two break points – Djokovic took the first set 6-3 with 48 minutes on the clock.
Medvedev appeared to be irked in the early stages of the second set with a series of double faults and unforced errors but started to raise his level to match his opponent, with neither player getting close to a break until game seven as Djokovic missed the chance to extend his lead.
Just before Medvedev’s key hold, Djokovic fell to the deck after a 31-shot rally and seemed both hurt and exhausted and he asked for a bag of ice at the changeover, with the Russian then earning his first break-point opportunity of the final in game eight but he could not convert as another hold kept it locked at 4-4.
The duo exchanged service games again and Djokovic got the crowd on their feet in game 11 with an impressive forehand winner after a lengthy rally to force deuce as he looked to break, but Medvedev shrugged off the pressure to hold and then stunned his opponent to set up a set-point opportunity in game 12.
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Medvedev could not register the break, though, resulting in a tie-break – and despite leading 2-0 and then 3-1 – he was made to pay for his wasted chance as Djokovic wrapped up the second set 7-6 (7-5), pumping his fist to the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and leaving the Russian with a huge mountain to climb.
Both men held in their opening service games of the third set after Medvedev’s medical time-out, as he appeared to hurt his left shoulder, and he was then involved in an argument with his own coach before Djokovic secured the break in game four to go 3-1 up and edge closer towards his 24th Grand Slam title.
Medvedev had other ideas and broke Djokovic straight back to keep his slim hopes alive – but any chance of a comeback looked dead in the water as the Serbian secured his third break of the match in game six. The pair traded service games one last time before Djokovic won the third set 6-3 to secure the trophy.
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The Serbian has now lifted THREE major trophies this year!