by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Novak Djokovic won his 24th major singles enduring past Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 to equal Margaret Court for the all-time lead in tennis history for most major singles titles won in a career. At age 36, Djokovic also became the oldest U.S. Open men’s singles champion, eclipsing Ken Rosewal, who won the 1970 U.S. singles title at age 35. Remarkably, Djokovic has now won titles at exactly one third of the majors he’s played in (24 titles in 72 major appearances).
The final against Medvedev was a rematch of their 2021 U.S. Open final when Medvedev upset Djokovic and ruined his bid to win for a Grand Slam sweep of all four majors in a single year, a feat only achieved by five players in tennis history. However, in 2023, Medvedev was not able to prevent Djokovic from making tennis history.
The match was ultimately decided in an incredible 1 hour, 44-minute second set, where Djokovic saved a set point and showcased some clutch serve and volley tactics when appeared to be in physical distress.
The fourth championship for Djokovic in New York also provided some poetic justice for the Serbian as he was unable to play the event in 2022 due to the United States government’s policy against admitting non-citizens who were not vaccinated. Djokovic also endured disappointment when he was disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open when he mistakenly hit a ball in anger that hit a linesperson.
