NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic emerged from an exciting and onerous U.S. Open ultimate with a 24th Grand Slam title on Sunday night time, the usage of each and every ounce of his power and a few serve-and-volley guile to get previous Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a fit that used to be extra intently contested than the straight-set ranking indicated.
Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, moved one main singles title in entrance of Serena Williams to develop into the first participant to win 24 in the Open technology, which started in 1968. Margaret Court additionally accrued a complete of 24, however 13 of the ones got here earlier than execs have been admitted to the Slam occasions.
There have been moments, specifically in the 1-hour, 44-minute 2nd set that used to be as a lot about tenacity as skill, when Djokovic seemed to be faltering. After a few of the maximum grueling issues — and there have been many — he would lean over with fingers on knees or use his racket for enhance or pause to stretch his legs.
This triumph towards Medvedev, the opponent who beat him in the 2021 ultimate at Flushing Meadows to forestall a bid for the first males’s calendar-year Grand Slam in additional than a half-century, made Djokovic the oldest male champion at the U.S. Open in the Open technology.
“First of all, Novak, I want to ask: What are you still doing here?” Medvedev joked all through the trophy presentation.
Djokovic’s fourth championship in New York, the place he used to be not able to compete a 12 months in the past as a result of he isn’t vaccinated towards COVID-19, is going along his 10 trophies from the Australian Open, seven from Wimbledon and 3 from the French Open, extending his lead on the males’s Slam checklist. Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since January with a hip drawback that required surgical operation, is subsequent with 22; Roger Federer, who introduced his retirement a 12 months in the past, completed with 20.
When it used to be over, Medvedev tapped Djokovic on the chest as they chatted at the web. Djokovic flung his racket away, put his palms up after which knelt on the court docket, with his head bowed. And then the party used to be on. First he discovered his daughter for a hug. His son and spouse got here subsequent, along side his staff.
Soon, Djokovic used to be donning a blouse with “24” and “Mamba Forever” written on it as a tribute to the overdue NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, who wore that jersey quantity. And on most sensible of that went a white jacket with the similar important quantity stamped on the chest.
As just right as ever, Djokovic went 27-1 in the recreation’s maximum prestigious occasions this season: The lone blemish used to be a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the ultimate at Wimbledon in July. Djokovic will upward thrust to No. 1 in the ratings on Monday, overtaking Alcaraz, who used to be the protecting champion at Flushing Meadows however used to be eradicated by No. 3 Medvedev.
At the get started Sunday, with the Arthur Ashe Stadium retractable roof close on account of rain in the forecast, Djokovic used to be at ease as will also be. No signal of the instance weighing on him, no hint of the pressure he said in short arose overdue in his semifinal towards unseeded American Ben Shelton.
His exemplary motion just right as ever, each and every stroke simply so, Djokovic got here out as his easiest self. He grabbed 12 of the first 16 issues – 3 by means of aces completely positioned, and with tempo, and 4 by means of exchanges that lasted 10 strokes or extra – alongside the strategy to leads of 3-0 and 4-1.
Medvedev, against this, gave the impression tight, jittery, the looping swings of his white racket breaking down time and again, whether or not on a trio of double-faults in the opening set or all through the lengthier issues, as opposed to on one 37-shot back-and-forth that ended when Djokovic blinked, stumbling as he flubbed a backhand.
Beyond that, even though, Djokovic used to be as dependable as a metronome, expecting just about the entirety headed his approach and scurrying this fashion and that to retrieve and reply, as is his wont.
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AP tennis protection: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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