Novak Djokovic has won so many Grand Slam singles titles in so many different ways that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of them.
Serbian Djokovic further cemented his reputation as the best player of modern times with a convincing victory over Russia’s Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. Djokovic, swinging his racket across the court with an ease and grace that top players a decade or so younger can only dream of, took advantage of Medvedev’s flat start and then outlasted his friend in an epic second set. He finally toppled his neighbor Monte Carlo 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3.
He has spent most of his career on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium either as the underdog or the villain in matches against longtime crowd favorites like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. There was nothing like that on Sunday. The crowd of about 24,000 welcomed him with thunderous cheers, giving him the biggest cheer when Medvedev fired a shot into the net to give Djokovic the surprisingly difficult title for the greatest hard-court player in the sport’s history.
“This means the world to me.” he told his crowd just before hoisting the trophy for the fourth time in his career.
His transformation from foil to protagonist began two years ago, towards the end of a very different final against the same opponent. That day, Djokovic walked onto the court to become the first man in 50 years to win all four Grand Slam tournament titles in a single year.
Medvedev’s blunt upset was all but confirmed on a day when Djokovic was uncharacteristically flat, but the packed stadium to witness history surrounded Djokovic with the kind of love he had never felt in New York. He sat in his chair and sobbed before the final game.
Djokovic was unable to compete in the US Open last year due to federal regulations banning the entry of foreign visitors who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. He set foot on American soil for the first time in about two years to compete in the Western & Southern Open held near Cincinnati in mid-August. He quickly realized that the love he felt during the 2021 US Open final had not gone away.
Djokovic appeared to be on cruise control midway through the second set on Sunday, but needed all the support he could get from Medvedev as he regained form. After an error-filled set and a half, the Russian with the arms of an octopus and the legs of a gazelle took mistakes out of his game, tightened his serve and mimicked the backboard that had previously lifted him very effectively. The pinnacle of sports.
Points lasting longer than 20 shots have become routine in matches that feature their share of 30-shot rallies, and suddenly Djokovic’s legs start moving as if a boxer is taking a bump to the chin from a shot. He leaned on his racket between points and panted. He rubbed his head with his ice pack between matches.
“I was losing air several times,” he said. “I don’t remember feeling so exhausted after a meeting.”
Maintaining the second set at 5-6, he stretched his legs and threw the ball into the air. He saved set point with two soft volleys while running for shots.
“He was tired,” Medvedev said. “I was completely captivated by him.”
They got to a deciding tiebreaker, and even that went back and forth like many points in this video game. Medvedev got within two points and won a lung-busting exchange of drop shots. However, as he had done many times before, Djokovic recorded three consecutive scoreless goals.
When Medvedev netted with a backhand 104 minutes into the set, Djokovic had a two-set lead, an advantage he had coughed up only once in his career, 13 years ago before he transformed into a near-indomitable player. He will be a player.
He slowly walked to his chair, picked up his bag, and left the court to go to the bathroom. Medvedev took off his shirt and called his trainer to massage his shoulders. But what he really needed after all he’d endured for the past hour and a half was a brain massage.
When he returned to the court, Djokovic was on the rise again, with another championship adrenaline rush and a record in sight that would put a rediscovered spring in his step. He took advantage of his opponent playing deep in the court, where he was likely to hit the back wall on his backswing, and flew toward the net. This time, no one left Djokovic to take his sweet return to the United States.
These days, he seems to be setting records in men’s tennis every time he participates in a tournament, usually beating his own tennis records. Djokovic started the year in Melbourne, where he won a record 10th Australian Open title. His 24th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday surpassed the men’s record of 23 he set at the French Open in June.
On Friday he appeared in his record 47th Grand Slam semifinal, one more than Federer. Three weeks ago he won a record 39th title at the Masters 1000 tournament, just below Grand Slam level. On Sunday he played in his 36th Grand Slam final.
His performance at the US Open ensured that he would wake up on Monday morning as the world’s No. 1 player, reclaiming the top spot from Spain’s 20-year-old sensation Carlos Alcaraz even before he took the court for his final match. . This marks 390 weeks since he was at the top of his sport. That person already had that record.
Medvedev, 27, said to Djokovic, 36, who has been hindering his bid for a title since he first broke into tennis’ top level six years ago: “What are you still doing here?”
Taking a final breath as he toweled off in a corner of the court before serving for match point, Djokovic looked at the fans in the front row and nodded, his eyes wide. A moment later he was on his knees on his coat, his shoulders shaking as his tears once again streamed down his face. He got up, walked to the stands and picked up his 6-year-old daughter, Tara, who could barely stand her tennis match. She often colors books on the stadium floor while her father plays.
“Tennis is not her thing,” he said earlier this year with a grin and a puzzled look.
It’s now. She watched from courtside her Sunday, and Djokovic said he believed everything would be okay, as he watched her smile and raise her fist whenever she needed help.
He then shared hugs with the rest of his family in the audience. When he returned to the court, he traded his sweaty kit for a shirt with a picture of himself and his sporting hero, friend and sometimes mentor, Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant wore number 24 when he finished his NBA career. The number was on the back of Djokovic’s shirt.
His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, lamented Djokovic’s loss in five sets to Alcaraz in July in his 28th Grand Slam match this year: “It’s a shame there are a few points at Wimbledon either way.” He said. Ivanisevic said he and Djokovic never spoke about the loss after that day. “That’s what makes him great.”
A few days before this tournament, Djokovic recalled the heartbreaking yet heartwarming day two years ago when Medvedev stopped him one match short of perhaps the ultimate tennis achievement. He still felt the warmth of the New York crowd that finally brought him there.
“They love sports and they love experiencing something special,” he said. “They wholeheartedly supported me and wanted me to win and make history.”
Looking back, he said, he rarely felt crushed by its weight.
This time, Djokovic decided to forbid his family from discussing the history and keep the match as simple and clear as possible.
New York fans had to wait two years to see it, but they finally got to see it on Sunday. Chances are they will see it again.
