Novak Djokovic Achieves Historic US Open Triumph

Novak Djokovic, US Open
Novak Djokovic (photo: Jürgen Hasenkopf)

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 11, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)

With nothing left to prove but with plenty of personal pride at stake, Novak Djokovic keeps pushing the envelope and proving remarkable things on the tennis court. Naysayers be damned.

On Sunday night, before the 25th Arthur Ashe Stadium sellout of this year’s US Open, the 36-year-old Djokovic extended his men’s record by winning his 24th Grand Slam singles title, defeating Daniil Medvedev, nine years his junior, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in three hours and 16 minutes, after enduring a nail-biting 105-minute second set.

The triumph was the Serbian’s fourth US Open singles title and his third major crown of the 2023 season to go with his earlier title wins at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. Only a dramatic five-set victory by Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final prevented Djokovic from achieving a calendar-year Grand Slam, which also eluded him two years ago. He’s now won seven of the last 10 majors he’s competed in.

Sunday’s US Open title victory extended Djokovic’s men’s record of 24 major titles and equaled the all-time mark set by Margaret Court. It further widened the gap between him and Rafael Nadal, who has won 22 major titles. He also became the oldest US Open men’s winner in the Open Era (since 1968) by surpassing Australian great Ken Rosewall, who was 35 when he won the title in 1970.

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Djokovic also became the first man to win three Grand Slam titles in one year four times (2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023), surpassing Roger Federer. On Monday, he will return to the ATP’s world No. 1 ranking, replacing Alcaraz, who will drop to No. 2.

Being the best – greatest of all time? – and caring about his historical legacy is something that has always mattered to Djokovic. He spoke about this during the trophy ceremony.

“To make history of this sport is just something truly remarkable and special,” Djokovic said. “Obviously in every in every possible way, in every possible meaning of the word special. It’s hard to describe in words.

“I would like to send a message to every young person out there. I was a seven-year-old boy dreaming that I could win Wimbledon and be world No. 1 one day.

“I am beyond grateful but I feel I had the power to create my own destiny. I believe it and feel it with every cell in my body. Be in the present moment, forget about the past. If you want a better future, you create it.”

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For the second time in three years, No. 2 Djokovic and No. 3 Medvedev of Russia faced off in the US Open championship final. In 2021, Medvedev defeated Djokovic, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, to prevent the 23-time major champion from winning the calendar Grand Slam. It reduced Djokovic to tears after what might have been.

“I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to allow the importance of the moment and what’s on the line to get to my head, because two years ago that’s what happened, and I underperformed and I wasn’t able to be at my best and I was outplayed,” Djokovic said during his victory news conference.

Now, it was time for a rematch – and, in time, it became a memorable one by any metric, statistical or emotional. By the conclusion, the only tears Djokovic shed were ones of joy as he celebrated with his family – including his parents, his wife and his two children – his team, and his friend, actor Matthew McConaughey, in the stands, after falling to the court to celebrate once he achieved championship point.

On a rainy, late summer day and evening with the roof once again closed on Arthur Ashe Stadium due to inclement weather, just as it was a day earlier for the women’s final, Medvedev attempted to capture his second major tournament title in just his fifth final. On the other side of the net, Djokovic took aim at earning his fourth US Open crown in his 10th Flushing Meadows final. At stake for the soon-to-be-No. 1-again Djokovic was an opportunity to increase his Grand Slam record and legacy, which would tie him with Court, the women’s major record holder from Australia who won her 24 majors from 1960-73.

From the outset, the level of solidly clean, huge baseline hitting from both competitors was nothing short of phenomenal. Double-digit rallies between Djokovic and Medvedev became the norm – not the exception – such as a grueling 36-shot rally won by Medvedev early in the first set that left Djokovic looking a bit winded. However, one thing Djokovic did to counteract his taller opponent was to utilize his slice backhand effectively and to also to play old-school serve and volley, in which he came to the net 44 times and won 37 – an 84-percent efficiency rate – of those points. He mixed in some forehands down the line for good measure. It all contributed toward keeping Medvedev off balance and bothered.

Djokovic won the opening set 6-3 as he showed he was unstoppable. A statistic that soon circulated was an impressive one: The Serbian was 72-1 when he wins the first set at the US Open. His only defeat from there was against Stan Wawrinka in the 2016 final. He would not be denied this time.

Soon, Djokovic took a two-sets-to-none lead after winning a second-set tie-break 7-5 that capped a very long and intense second set in, which he hit some outstanding, jaw-dropping winners. The Serbian’s continued serve-and-volley success contributed to his pulling out the one-hour and 45-minute match within a match, in which he saved a break point at 3-4 with a half volley, then set point trailing Medvedev 5-6 with a reflex volley. By winning the tie-break, Djokovic improved to 26-5 in tiebreakers this year – and 319-163 in his career.

Onward to the third set, and although Djokovic broke early for a 3-1 lead, he gave it right back – the only time he was broken. However, Medvedev was unable to take advantage of the opportunity and, soon, it was Djokovic closing out game, set and match and celebrating major title No. 24.

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“Twenty-four,” said Medvedev in appreciation during his trophy remarks. “I feel like I have not a bad career and I have 20 titles; you have 24 Grand Slams. Wow! Congrats to you and your team. You guys are amazing.”

Later, during his final post-match press conference, Medvedev spoke about how the tenor of the match might have changed had he been able to pull out the second set, which would have assured the final of going at least four sets.

“Oh, regrets, for sure,” Medvedev expressed. “Should have won it. Should have won it, but sometimes tennis not that easy. Passing for sure down the line, not cross, but I have two choices and I chose the wrong one.

“In general, second set was the best set I played and I didn’t win it. So that’s why I kind of, I would say, it’s normal that the match went that way, because first and third he was kind of better and not much to say. Second, if I would win it maybe could have been a different game.”

In the moments before the trophy ceremony, the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic donned a blue “Mamba Forever” t-shirt in honor of the late NBA superstar and friend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash three years ago, with his iconic “24” jersey number displayed on the back. Then, he went up to receive his champion’s trophy debuting a white custom Lacoste jacket emblazoned with the number 24 on the front.

“Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality,” Djokovic recalled. “When I was struggling with injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game, he was one of the people I relied on the most. He was always there for any kind of counsel, advice, any kind of support in the most friendly way. …

“Of course, what happened a few years ago with him and his daughter passing hurt me deeply. I thought, 24 is the jersey that he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and of world basketball. I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all the things he’s done.” 

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Dabrowski and Routliffe win first major title in fourth tournament together 

Playing just their fourth tournament together as a team, No. 16 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand won their first Grand Slam title at the US Open Sunday afternoon on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Dabrowski and Routliffe defeated 2020 US Open champions and this year’s No. 12 seeds Laura Siegemund of Germany and Vera Zvonareva of Russia, 7-6 (9), 6-3, in two hours and 15 minutes.

The new champions teamed for the first time this summer in Montreal and also played in WTA events in Cincinnati and Cleveland before the US Open. The title is the 14th career doubles crown for Dabrowski and fourth for Routliffe.

“Thanks, Gaby, for playing with me,” Routliffe said during the trophy ceremony. “She took a chance on me and I really appreciate it.”

American Katherine Hui wins junior girls’ title

San Diego, Calif. native Katherine Hui won the US Open girls’ singles crown by defeating No. 9 seed Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic, 6-4 6-4, Saturday night in a rain-delayed final. The 18-year-old Hui, who received a wild card entry, completed a dominant run through the girls’ draw and in doing so, became the second American girls’ champion in the past three years, following Robin Montgomery’s triumph in 2021.

Hui, who is a Stanford University freshman, didn’t drop a set in her six matches, and never allowed an opponent to win more than four games in any set.

“It was my last junior tournament, so I really wanted to make the best of it,” Hui said. “I knew she was going to come out and fight, and I knew that I was capable of it as long as I trusted myself. I’m really proud of the way I played.”

Asked if winning the US Open junior title change her expectations for college, Hui said:

“I think it just gives me a lot of confidence, because I knew that I was capable of it, and obviously not playing a lot of ITFs and having a year of injury during that important time to travel and play was a little bit offsetting.

“So I think it gives me confidence going into college, and I know the competition is strong and there is a lot more players deciding to go that route.

“But I think I just believe in my game more. I mean, I always have. I think it just kind of proves it, which I’m really happy about.”

The junior girls’ doubles title was won by No. 8 seeds Mara Gae, from Romania, and Anastasiia Gureva, from Russia, playing for just the third time as a team. They recovered from being a set down and 1-3 in the second set to defeat Japan’s Sara Saito and Nanaka Sato, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8.

Brazil’s João Fonseca wins boys’ junior title

João Fonseca rallied from a set and 0-2 down in the second set, then another 0-2 deficit in the third set to become the second boy from Brazil to win the US Open boys’ junior championship Saturday night. The 17-year-old Rio de Janeiro native defeated Learner Tien of the United States, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, following a five-hour weather delay due to rain and thunderstorms.

Fonseca, who struck 41 winners to just 10 for Tien, is the first US Open boys’ champion from Brazil since Thiago Seyboth Wild in 2018. Tien, of Irvine, Calif., who plays collegiately at the University of Southern California, was attempting to become the first American boy to win the US Open since Taylor Fritz in 2015.

“I can’t process. It’s really amazing,” said Fonseca, who lost to Tien in the quarterfinals of the junior Roland Garros competition earlier this year. “Yesterday I said I had no words to say but I also said the job was not done. Now the job is done. …

“Learner is a great guy, amazing player. Well, that’s not why he was in — he was in two slam finals this year. I knew it was going to be a great fight.

“He played so good in the first set and beginning of the second one. I think he relaxed a bit, and I just got the opportunity with the crowd. When I broke him 2-1, I just, like, called the crowd and energy myself to get strength for the third set to win the second set and go for the third set.

“So that’s why I’m happy with myself that I fought to the last point.”

In the junior boys’ doubles final, Oliver Ojakaar of Estonia and Sweden’s Max Dahlin rallied from a set down and saved two match points in a third-set match tie-break to defeat Italy’s Federico Bondioli and Joel Schwaerzler of Austria, 6-3, 3-6, 11-9.

Around the US Open

No. 1 seed Diede de Groot of the Netherlands defeated No. 2 seed Yui Kamiji of Japan, 6-2, 6-2, to win her sixth consecutive US Open women’s wheelchair title and 13th straight major, completing her third calendar Grand Slam in as many years.

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By the numbers

Novak Djokovic has appeared in a record 36 Grand Slam tournament finals (24-12) and Sunday was his record-tying 10th US Open title match (4-6), which equals Bill Tilden’s total. In addition, this was the third time (2015 and 2021) Djokovic has reached all four Grand Slam finals in the same season.

This was the first US Open final between two former champions since 2018, when Novak Djokovic beat Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

“Quotable …”

“Playing in all four finals of all four slams in a season is amazing. It’s the highest achievement I can think about when I start the season. That’s what I dream about, that’s what I really wanted, that’s where I want to be, in this kind of position.”

– Novak Djokovic of Serbia, from his post-match news conference Friday, describing the significance of reaching the finals of all four Grand Slam events this season.

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