NOVAK DJOKOVIC CLAIMS 24TH GRAND SLAM TITLE AT US OPEN

The scene was set for this rematch of the Flushing Meadows US Open final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Even though a calendar Slam was not at stake in this match, Djokovic was going for his 24th Grand Slam victory while Medvedev was going for his second in New York. In the end, the Serb gave a complete masterclass as he gracefully handled the situation.

As he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final in New York, Novak Djokovic won his fourth US Open championship, giving him a total of 24 Grand Slam victories.

On another illustrious night for the Serb, Djokovic scored a 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 victory at Flushing Meadows thanks to an imperious performance that saw him retain the advantage from beginning to finish with his opponent unable to ever maintain the ascendancy.

When he fell to Medvedev on the same court two years ago, the 36-year-old, who is now appropriately back at No. 1, said he was too caught up in the moment. However, this time, he made sure there would be no recurrence.

After being edged out by Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon earlier in the summer, Djokovic has now miraculously managed to win three Grand Slams in a season on four separate times.

Before Medvedev, who would later need treatment for his shoulder, could settle into the match, Djokovic broke serve right away and sprinted into a dominating 3-0 lead.

In the fourth game, the No. 3 seed finally broke through, but by that moment, Djokovic had already taken the lead early. So much so that, when he finished it off 6-3 in less than an hour, he did not even have to face a break point.

After winning the first set, Djokovic entered the match with a staggering 38-2 record this year. Medvedev knew he was up against it as the second set got off in front of an anticipating audience.

Even though he was frequently forced to deuce to struggle through on service, the Russian definitely matched his opponent’s strong level from the opening of the second set to ensure he did not quickly go farther behind.

Both players successfully avoided break points while serving under extreme pressure in the second set, which ended up lasting one hour and 44 minutes. The tie-break that decided the match then seemed to be an inevitability.

Medvedev first used some fierce groundstrokes to establish his dominance in the tiebreaker as he led 3-1 and then 5-4, but Djokovic ultimately prevailed when it mattered most, playing faultless tennis to double his set advantage.

After the suspense of the second set, Medvedev was unable to assert himself in the third set. Instead, the persistent Djokovic forced the opening break to take the lead 3-1, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd sensed the match was winding down.

The critical second set will be remembered, and after that, it was a straightforward victory in three hours and sixteen minutes for the swaggering Djokovic as he breezed over the last stretch of the third set with Medvedev unable to change the direction of the match.

The 36-year-old delivered a complete masterclass, winning four titles at Flushing Meadows, a third Grand Slam of the year, and a historic 24th Grand Slam to cap it all off. With his remarkable tally, he moved even further ahead of Rafael Nadal and equal with Margaret Court.

Djokovic said, I am living a childhood dream, as he basked in his success. It’s difficult to explain. Growing up, I wanted to be the world’s best player. I never thought I’d be here discussing 24 Slams. Making history on this court is incredibly amazing and remarkable in every sense of the word. When I was seven years old, my only goal in life was to win Wimbledon and become the best player in the world.

Medvedev smiled and teased: What are you still doing here, Novak? When do you intend to moderate your pace a little? I think my career hasn’t been too bad, and I’ve won 20 titles, but you’ve won 24 Grand Slams?

Credits: www.eurosport.com

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