Nova Djokovic completed the most beautiful return to Flushing Meadows on Sunday evening – banned in 2022, the oldest champion ever in 2023.
The 36-year-old Serbian won his first US Open title in five years when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in a brutally physical encounter that pushed both men to their limits, even with a straight sets scoreline of 6-3, 7-6. 6-3.
For Djokovic, a 24th Grand Slam title in his 36th final signaled that his Wimbledon turnaround was an aberration rather than the start of a trend, and he is two Majors ahead of Rafael Nadal, who will certainly never be caught. That will probably mean more to him than matching the standard of Margaret Court of an earlier era.
Against the handsome Russian No. 3 seed, he played a match predictably marked by rallies that mixed athleticism with attrition, leaving the crowd gasping in disbelief. They picked pieces from the baseline, but as is so often the case with Djokovic, he was the one to score when it mattered most.
Three hours and seventeen minutes had been played when Medvedev hit a final forehand into the net. He was initially subdued at the moment of victory, but then cried as he went to hug his daughter in the stands.
Novak Djokovic is US Open champion again after beating Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, reacts during a medical timeout between sets against Djokovic
Djokovic had won nine of the previous 14 meetings, although the most significant of them was a defeat in this final two years ago, when the Russian emphatically blocked his attempt to win the calendar Grand Slam. That provided another element of redemption.
Playing under the roof due to previous showers, Medvedev should have been the most battle-hardened. His route to the final had been much more difficult and included eliminating Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.
A classic feature of Medvedev’s play is the way he stands so far back in the court, and it was clear from the start that Djokovic wanted to make sure he couldn’t simply retreat into that comfort zone.
Drop shots are an obvious tactic, although the Russian is moving so quickly, they must be executed to perfection. Another trick Djokovic wanted to show early on was coming in after his serve to volley, with so much time and angle provided by his opponent’s receiving position.
He pounced on a slow opening service game from Medvedev to break immediately and held his ground by being prepared for the long rallies that would inevitably ensue.
Lacking the consistency he had shown in the previous rounds, Medvedev was faced with two set points at 2-5, which he saved by pushing his opponent deep into the corners.
Djokovic made no mistake in the next game, refusing to make a marathon substitution that earned him another set point, which the Russian sent long.
Medvedev then stopped the match for six minutes as he left for a ridiculously long toilet break, but when the fight resumed he was still struggling to keep up with his opponent, who forced a break point at 3-3.
Djokovic melodramatically fell to the ground after a grueling point as they probed each other’s defense, with Medvedev improving. In the 12-minute eighth game of the second set, the Serbian saved a break point with a beautiful half-volley picked up from the floor to stay level.
Medvedev was now back in it again and forced a set point at 6-5, but instead of going down the line, he hit a backhand to his opponent which he controlled for a winner.
Against Djokovic in a tiebreak is a thankless task, but the Russian had his chances. After watching his 3-1 lead translate to 5-5, Medvedev hit his forehand return wide and then, anticlimactically, dumped a backhand into the net.
At 104 minutes long, it had been the longest set of the tournament, and longer than the victories both men achieved in their first rounds.
When the Serbian went to change from his sweat-soaked clothes, he did so knowing that his hard-court record in Grand Slams was 126-0 when he led two sets to love. His opponent remained in his seat, knowing he had created enough openings to draw level.
Djokovic’s energy levels surged during the second set of this marathon, occasionally dropping to his haunches after some of the more brutal exchanges, but there’s nothing like the sight of the winning post to pump up a player.
He started the third confidently at 2-1 and seemed to force the decisive break by ramming his forehand into Medvedev, whose legs were starting to look less cooperative.
Twice he unbalanced him by drawing backhands that flew over the baseline, the second at 15-40.
Then came an unexpected mistake, with Djokovic playing his loosest set of points to give the break right back.
The war of attrition had taken its toll and the overall level of the match dropped when it was Medvedev’s turn to hand out a few presents, and after three service breaks the Serbian moved to 4-2, from which he would not come again . overhauled.