Determined and stainless, Novak Djokovic conquered the final of the US Open 2023 in three sets, Sunday (6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in 3h17), facing a Daniil Medvedev less in his zone than during his prodigious semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Serb, who was already assured of becoming world number one again on Monday, in place of the Spaniard, thus won the 24th Grand Slam title of his career, which allows him to now count, in the history of tennis, two lengths ahead of Rafael Nadal and one over Serena Williams. He is now the equal of the Australian Margaret Court, whose loot nevertheless does not have quite the same value, because it was partly amassed before the start of the Open era and therefore the professionalism assumed in this sport.
For what constituted by far his biggest challenge since the start of a tournament he went through easily, with the exception of a tricky third round against his compatriot Laslo Djere (victory in five sets after being down two sets to nothing), Novak Djokovic did not waste a moment to show his opponent that he was taking this final the right way, unlike that of two years ago, when the prospect of completing the calendar Grand Slam had made his arm smaller. and clouded the mind. Intense and offensive, he hit, during the first three games, among others, a backhand winner along the line à la Agassi and three aces at the T, including two to conclude his service games (3-0).
The rule for winning the first set
At 3-1, 15A, when he ended up losing a stifling exchange of 36 shots, Djokovic suggested that he saw 36 candles, with this support which made him waver behind his backhand fault. Touch ? You speak, two service-volley sequences revived it immediately. It was obvious that if Medvedev, lacking first balls to begin with, was trying not to give away angles and to make the points last, the Serb intended not to wait too long. Very solid on serve, very active on the legs, especially before his well-felt accelerations, it was he who dictated the game until the end of the first round, concluded in 48 minutes (6-3).
It remained to be seen whether the lengthy exchanges imposed by the Russian were an investment in the future. The problem, for him, was that Djokovic was not 36 years old, rather twice 18. And a stunning statistic absolutely had to remain out of Medvedev’s reach, the one which says that out of the 74 times Djokovic won his first set in a match at the US Open, he won 73 times. Only Stan Wawrinka, during the 2016 final, was able to become the exception confirming the rule.
Djokovic very close to the KO in the middle of the 2nd set
Forced, by the accuracy and tenacity of Djokovic, to always seek a little more and often a little too much, Medvedev continued to miss his target more than reason at the start of the second set, while his opponent added a few pinches of slice legbreaker, reverse side. As much as the Russian drew in each service game, “Djoko” carried around on his own.
At 6-3, 2-2, 0-30, Medvedev already had 22 unforced errors on the clock compared to 10 opposite. For 14 winning shots each. There was a scent of a knockout in the humid air of the Arthur-Ashe, the roof closed since the start of the final, because of the heavy rain at the start of the day and despite the return of the sun. But the Russian then produced some good services to give himself a little oxygen.
Djokovic found himself on the ground several times (Reuters)
A wonderful half-volley cushioned on a break point
At 3-3, the world No. 3 had a first break point to face, which he dismissed with a topspin forehand volley, behind a good first. In this seventh game, fourteen points long, Djokovic made his first four unforced errors of the set and dropped to the ground twice. Touch ? Must believe. While he had won 22 of his last 25 points on serve, he found himself caught up in an extended game, missed four balls of 4-4 and had to face his first break point of the final. We had been playing for 1h45 when he delivered a marvelous half-volley forehand shot that even made Medvedev smile. He returned to the net on the next two points. Service saved: 4-4.
However, while Medvedev erased more and more of his errors, Djokovic began to distill his drop shots less appropriately, to insult his clan after mistakes but also to ostensibly show everyone that a leg was starting to need some stretching. At 5-6, he committed two double faults then collapsed on a forehand defense: set point for Medvedev! Which he saved on a new serve-volley sequence, happy to see the Russian not better adjust his backhand passing.
Djokovic remains “Mister tie-break” in 2023
The time for the tie-break arrived, an exercise in which Djokovic has made a great specialty in 2023, since he had won 25 out of 30 until then. At the end of a decisive game rich in long exchanges, in which he was led 3-1, the Serb once again won the prize, 7 points to 5, because Medvedev lowered the flag a little quickly on the last two points.
After a very demanding 2h32, including 44 points from more than nine shots (and only 18 won by Djokovic), the 24th Grand Slam title was more than ever on the horizon. Especially since Medvedev asked for a massage of the left shoulder, during the break at the end of the set, and obtained three minutes of “Medical time out”. His drawn features and his staring into space did not send very promising messages.
23 Grand Slam titles in 12 and a half years
In fact, he lost his serve in the fourth game of the third set, on three unforced errors. The heart, the body and the head were no longer really there. The break, in the next game, was only an illusion. Djokovic took off again at 3-2 and was safely home in a few minutes. The breath was no longer short, the leg was no longer stiff. Nothing could stand between him and this US Open which had eluded him for five years.
This is the fourth time, after 2011, 2015 and 2021, that Novak Djokovic has won three Majors in the year and therefore completed a “small Slam”. No man had ever done that. Since the start of 2011, he has won 23 of the 51 Grand Slam titles up for grabs. 23 is as many as the sum of the trophies of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka over the same period. Simply giant.