West News Wire: With all of his strength and some serve-and-volley cunning, Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final, winning his 24th Grand Slam championship in a match that was closer than the straight-set score suggested. The result was 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Serb Djokovic, 36, went ahead of Serena Williams by one major singles championship on Sunday to become the first person to win 24 matches in the Open Era, which started in 1968. Margaret Court also amassed a total of 24, but 13 of those occurred prior to the admission of professionals to the Slam competitions.
There were times when Djokovic seemed to be faltering, particularly in the second set’s one hour and 44 minutes, which was as much about persistence as it was about talent. He would pause to stretch his legs or bend over with his hands on his knees after some of the toughest points, of which there were many.
Djokovic became the oldest male champion at the US Open during the Open Era with his victory over Medvedev, the rival he defeated in the 2021 final at Flushing Meadows to thwart a bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam in more than fifty years.
Djokovic’s fourth championship in New York, where he was unable to compete a year ago because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, goes alongside his 10 trophies from the Australian Open, seven from Wimbledon and three from the French Open, extending his lead on the men’s Slam list.
Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since January with a hip problem that required surgery, is next, with 22; Roger Federer, who announced his retirement a year ago, finished with 20.
This season, Djokovic excelled as usual, going 27-1 in the most prominent competitions in the sport. The only blemish was a defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon championship match in July. On Monday, Djokovic will surpass Alcaraz to take the top spot in the rankings. Alcaraz was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows but was defeated by Medvedev, who is currently ranked third.
Djokovic was as at ease as possible at the start of the match on Sunday because the retractable roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium was closed due to the rainy weather forecast. He showed no signs of the weight of the moment or the strain that, he conceded, suddenly surfaced late in his semifinal matchup with unseeded American Ben Shelton.
