New Yorkers in the stadium, and millions more worldwide, witnessed history as Novak Djokovic completed a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final.
For a player who covets Grand Slam success so dearly, this was perhaps the sweetest triumph of all – a 24th major singles title, surpassing Serena Williams’ 23 and equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record.
He has now given himself the opportunity, at Australian Open 2024, to elevate himself into the all-time, outright lead.
“There are two things in my opinion, and I think probably a lot of people would agree, that are considered as the greatest achievements in our sport, which is who wins the most Slams, and who is the longest No.1,” said Djokovic – already the all-time leader in weeks at No.1 – in an interview with ESPN.
MEDVEDEV: "I'm going to try to be better next time"
“I think at this stage, it’s more about Slams. To really chase the No.1 ranking, you’ve got to always play many tournaments. I’m not playing as much as I used to, so now everything is kind of directed towards Slams. How do I get ready to play my best tennis in Slams?
“If someone told me I’ll win three out of four Slams and play another final at Wimbledon, at the beginning of the year, I would sign it right away. And I’ll sign for next year, same scenario, no doubt.
“So I’ll keep going.”
It is tempting to frame his 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 win over Medvedev as normal service resumed.
It might be normal to see Djokovic winning, but it is anything but normal to be doing so at this stage of his career.
At 36 years and three months of age, Djokovic almost twice the age of 19-year-old women’s champion Coco Gauff, and the oldest Open-era men’s singles champion at the US Open, the same distinction he earned at Roland Garros in June. Nobody has won 24 major titles in the Open era, either.
There is a sense, however, that the natural order of men’s tennis has been restored.
Two months ago, Djokovic’s five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final upset what had come to be that natural order.
We wrote at the time: “It’s unclear whether Alcaraz’ triumph boosts the belief of his contemporaries, or diminishes Djokovic’s incredible aura. Yet given this result is so unlike what the tennis world has become accustomed to, it sets the stage brilliantly for the rest of the season – and beyond.”
Djokovic has not lost since.
Medvedev was astute after his US Open semifinal upset of Alcaraz, a result preventing a Grand Slam final rematch with Djokovic.
“He is always better than previous time he plays. For example, I beat him (2021) US Open final; he beat me in Bercy (two months later) in a great match. Carlos beat him at Wimbledon; he beat him in Cincinnati,” Medvedev observed.
“Novak is going to be his best version on Sunday, and I have to be the best-ever version of myself if I want to try to beat him.”
MORE: As history beckons for Djokovic, Medvedev again stands in the way
Try as he might, Medvedev could not repeat his straight-sets victory in the 2021 final in New York, a loss which denied Djokovic an historic sweep of all four Grand Slam titles in a single season.
Djokovic has won five of their six subsequent meetings, moving 10-5 ahead in the head-to-head series. He has won 12 consecutive matches in scooping the Cincinnati and US Open titles.
More notably, he now holds three of the sport’s four major trophies, and will return to world No.1.
Appearing in a record 36th major final, Djokovic has more experience on this stage than any other.
Success at the US Open, however, had proven comparatively elusive. In nine previous finals at Flushing Meadows, he had won only three. It had been five years since he’d hoisted the champion’s trophy, his longest drought at any of the four majors.
He began purposefully against Medvedev, succeeding with down-the-line strokes and taking advantage of opportunities to come to the net, even serve-and-volleying on multiple occasions.
He stared down a set point in the second set and won that, too, an intense, sapping stanza spanning one hour, 44 minutes.
Medvedev will rue his decision to send his set-point passing shot cross court, rather than the open down-the-line option.
Djokovic had never let slip a two-sets-to-love lead at the US Open, and Medvedev had never recovered to win from such a position. That would remain the case on Sunday, with Djokovic again concluding a championship as victor.
“It probably didn’t settle in yet fully with me, the achievement of course of 24,” Djokovic told ESPN.
“I was hoping I can make more history, that’s something that drives me no doubt. But I was very much aware that I’m playing an opponent that pretty much kicked my butt two years ago in the finals here when I was going for history, and I didn’t want to repeat the same result, I didn’t want to have the same feeling.
“(I tried to) treat this match as any other, and not really think about what’s on the line. Because there’s always something on the line, especially in the last couple of years.
“It was such a relief to win the second set. In the third set, it was really just (about stepping) over the line … and here we are.”