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Novak Djokovic’s Epic Victory Making History
Novak Djokovic secured his 24th Grand Slam singles title by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the men’s final of the US Open on Sunday.With a victory over Medvedev of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, Djokovic increased his record for the most Grand Slam championships.
The world’s second-ranked tennis player earned a spot among the game’s all-time greats with his victory on Sunday. Alongside his win, he has now equaled Margaret Court’s record for the most overall Grand Slam titles.
In a rematch of the 2021 US Open final, the Serbian player avenged his loss to the third-seeded Medvedev, this time at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
This means a lot to me, Novak Djokovic eloquently remarked following the match. I can now participate at the highest level in the sport that has given my family and I so much, realizing a childhood dream.
Playing in front of spectators, Novak Djokovic was in his usual dominant form in the first set, never facing a break point while hitting 12 winners in nine games. With this victory, Novak Djokovic extended his lead in the all-time US Open wins to 72-1, with his only defeat coming in the 2016 final against Stan Wawrinka.
The second set was more competitive as Novak Djokovic and Medvedev battled fiercely, resulting in a 7-5 tiebreak victory for Djokovic after an hour and 45 minutes.
With a lead of just one set away from his fourth US Open title, Djokovic pressed on, needing only one championship point to secure this historic win.
Novak Djokovic previously accomplished this feat four times, in 2011, 2015, and 2021. He was the oldest man to accomplish it in the Open Era (at 36 years old) and the first guy to win three Grand Slam titles in a single season with this triumph.
Novak Djokovic currently holds more men’s singles Grand Slam championships than Roger Federer (20) of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal (22) of Spain combined.
Making history in this sport is something remarkable in every sense conceivable and significant, according to Novak Djokovic.
In a post-game press conference, he described how emotional it had been to watch the game with his 6-year-old daughter seated in the front row. He told reporters that when he’ll need her energy the most, she will smile at hi
He emphasized the importance of his daughter – along with his 9-year-old son – being old enough to understand and appreciate his father’s victories when they occur.
Speaking about his future, Djokovic stated, “If I’m still playing at the top level, I don’t want to stop.”
Djokovic paid tribute to the late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant after his win. He donned a black shirt with an image of himself and the Lakers legend, which read “Mamba Forever” along with the number 24, representing Bryant’s second jersey number during his professional basketball career.
“I thought that accepting it could be a good symbolic gesture,” Djokovic said, who considered Bryant his close friend.
Djokovic spoke about his relationship with Bryant, saying, “When I was struggling with an injury and trying to make a comeback, trying to return to the top of the game, we had many conversations about the mentality of a champion.” “He was one of those people I trusted the most. He was always there in the most friendly way for any advice, guidance, any kind of support.”
A Chance to Make History This year, Djokovic had the opportunity to make history at every Grand Slam.At the Australian Open, he tied Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam victories. At the French Open, he equaled that mark with 23 Grand Slam victories.Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in the Wimbledon championship match.
On Sunday, his path to a record 21st major title was blocked by Daniil Medvedev, who had upset Alcaraz in the semifinals and had previously defeated Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s US Open final.
While Medvedev’s game is perfectly suited to hard courts, he hoped that he would be “10 times better on that day” against Djokovic.
“It’s the same against Novak,” Medvedev said. According to ATP Tour, Medvedev had stated that he is always better than the last time. “For example, I beat him in the US Open final, he beat me in a great match in Paris. Carlos defeated him in Cincinnati as well as Wimbledon. Novak is becoming his best version on Sunday, and if I want to try to beat him, I need to become my best version.”
Djokovic does not have the COVID-19 vaccine, and he has been unable to enter the country for the past two years.But earlier this year, the vaccination rules for visitors from outside the US were eased, allowing Djokovic to go again.
A Chance to Cross Court and Become an All-Time Great in January 2024 at the Australian Open. ‘Every Final Can Be the Last’ When Djokovic and Medvedev last met in a Grand Slam final, it was the Russian who triumphed, breaking Djokovic’s immediate record attempt to win a 21st Slam by claiming the Australian Open and French Open titles in the same year — something not accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969.
Since winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, Medvedev has come close to another, taking a two-set lead against Nadal in the 2022 Australian Open final but ultimately coming up short.
According to the US Open, he said, “The challenge is that you’re playing a guy who has won 23 Grand Slams, and I have only one.” “When I beat him here (in the 2021 final), I played better than myself, and I need to do it again. There’s no other way.”
At 36 years old, Djokovic could become the oldest man to win a singles title at the US Open era’s US Open, surpassing the record set by Ken Rosewall in 1970. He will play his 101st match at the US Open, a tournament he has already won three times in his career, though not since 2018.
‘You Want to Fight Until the End’ Djokovic’s path to the final was relatively straightforward, Aside from falling behind two sets to love against hometown favorite Laslo Djere in the third round, he completed all other matches in straight sets, minimizing his time on court. It was a remarkable finish to a year in which he reached every Grand Slam final, adding two more titles to his collection in 2022, the year he couldn’t compete in Australia or the US due to COVID-19 vaccinations.
For Medvedev, participating in the US Open final capped up a successful hard-court season in which he advanced to five straight finals and claimed four victories.
His display of strong serving, accurate shot-making, and tenacity against Alcaraz in the semifinals demonstrated why he might make a tough challenger for Djokovic.
As per ATP, Medvedev said, “You want to fight until the end, you want to win.” “And in a Grand Slam final, you have to be like that.”