Novak Djokovic is again on the brink of history. Again, Daniil Medvedev stands in his way.
Will Medvedev get the upper hand again when they clash in Sunday’s US Open final?
This will be the pair’s third meeting in a Grand Slam final, and, as perhaps the sport’s two leading hard-court players, it makes sense the others came in the 2021 Australian and US Open finals.
They split those meetings, with Djokovic winning, as he always does, in the AO final.
It was Medvedev’s US Open final victory which was significant beyond being his first Grand Slam title. As tennis writer Peter Bodo noted, Medvedev can “claim distinction as the only player in history to have stopped a Grand Slam from happening at the very last opportunity”.
Djokovic won the 2021 Australian, French and Wimbledon titles before advancing to the US Open final, one win from becoming the first man in more than half a century to win the coveted calendar-year Grand Slam.
Inhibited by the magnitude of the occasion, he lost to an impressively-steady Medvedev in straight sets.
Djokovic again won this year’s Australian Open and Roland Garros titles, achieving a men’s record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. In this year’s US Open final, he will target the all-time record of 24, held by Margaret Court.
History is again on the line, and it’s the same man across the net.
“I understand … every time in a Grand Slam final it's another shot for history, and I'm aware of it, and of course I'm very proud of it,” said Djokovic, after dismissing surprise semifinalist Ben Shelton in straight sets on Friday night.
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“But I don't have much time nor do I allow myself to reflect on these things or think about the history too much in this sense.
“When I did that in the past, like, '21 finals here I was maybe overwhelmed with the occasion and the opportunity and I underperformed. So I don't want this to happen again.
“I'll try to just focus on what needs to be done and tactically prepare myself for that match.”
The pressure-valve may have been ever-so-slightly released for Djokovic given the calendar Slam is not possible this year.
He came close – the closest he’s ever gotten in his career, after 2021 – by winning his first 20 Grand Slam matches of the season. Yet that streak was snapped by Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five-set Wimbledon final.
Djokovic acknowledged “a lot of people wanted (this rematch with Alcaraz) before this tournament started, considering our rivalry … when every single match went the distance in the last three occasions.”
But Medvedev prevented that scenario – defying multiple predictive models along the way.
The world No.3 played one of the finest matches of his career to upend the talented Spaniard in four sets, turning around a match-up that Alcaraz had dominated in 2023.
It also meant the defending US Open champion was ousted from the tournament, leaving Roger Federer as the last man to go back-to-back in New York, 15 years ago.
“I managed to play well, I managed to serve well, hit some lines in important moments, some great shots,” said Medvedev, who saved eight of nine break points, won more than 80 per cent of first serve points, and struck nine aces to Alcaraz’s zero.
“It was a great win, it's great for the confidence. I have hopefully long years of career ahead. And to know I'm capable of doing it on the big stage, every time you do it one more time, brings more confidence.
“You know you can do it again. You want to do it again. You want to feel this.”
Medvedev has continued his impressive year, which included a flurry of wins throughout February and March, a first clay-court Masters title in Rome, a Wimbledon semifinal run, and now his latest achievement in New York.
He boats a win-loss record of 55-11 this season, including 38-5 on hard courts – a win rate on the surface of almost 90 per cent.
Yet he acknowledges he has one of the biggest challenges ahead, should he want to maintain that winning feeling.
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He must overcome a 1-3 record in major finals, and while Djokovic’s US Open finals record is a similarly-skewed 3-6, Medvedev noted the Serb rebounded from defeats better than any other.
Djokovic beat Medvedev the next four times they played after that 2021 US Open final. Alcaraz experienced similar, succumbing to a rejuvenated Djokovic in Cincinnati after beating him at Wimbledon.
“Novak is going to be his best version on Sunday,” Medvedev warned, “and I have to be the best-ever version of myself if I want to try to beat him.”