Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, in the course of the males’s singles last of the U.S. Open tennis championships, on Sunday in New York.

Manu Fernandez/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Manu Fernandez/AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, in the course of the males’s singles last of the U.S. Open tennis championships, on Sunday in New York.

Manu Fernandez/AP

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic emerged from an exhilarating and exhausting U.S. Open last with a twenty fourth Grand Slam title on Sunday evening, utilizing each 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 match that was extra carefully contested than the straight-set rating indicated.

Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, moved one main singles title in entrance of Serena Williams to change into the primary participant to win 24 within the Open period, which started in 1968. Margaret Court additionally collected a complete of 24, however 13 of these got here earlier than professionals have been admitted to the Slam occasions.

There have been moments, significantly within the 1-hour, 44-minute second set that was as a lot about tenacity as expertise, when Djokovic gave the impression to be faltering. After a few of the most grueling factors — and there have been many — he would lean over with palms on knees or use his racket for help or pause to stretch his legs.

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, sits on the courtroom after a rally towards Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, in the course of the males’s singles last of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Sunday in New York.

Manu Fernandez/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Manu Fernandez/AP

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, sits on the courtroom after a rally towards Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, in the course of the males’s singles last of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Sunday in New York.

Manu Fernandez/AP

This triumph towards Medvedev, the opponent who beat him within the 2021 last at Flushing Meadows to cease a bid for the primary males’s calendar-year Grand Slam in additional than a half-century, made Djokovic the oldest male champion on the U.S. Open within the Open period.

“First of all, Novak, I want to ask: What are you still doing here?” Medvedev joked in the course of the trophy presentation.

Djokovic’s fourth championship in New York, the place he was unable to compete a yr in the past as a result of he is not vaccinated towards COVID-19, goes alongside his 10 trophies from the Australian Open, seven from Wimbledon and three from the French Open, extending his lead on the lads’s Slam checklist. Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since January with a hip downside that required surgical procedure, is subsequent with 22; Roger Federer, who introduced his retirement a yr in the past, completed with 20.

When it was over, Medvedev tapped Djokovic on the chest as they chatted on the internet. Djokovic flung his racket away, put his arms up after which knelt on the courtroom, together with his head bowed. And then the celebration was on. First he discovered his daughter for a hug. His son and spouse got here subsequent, alongside together with his group.

Soon, Djokovic was donning a shirt with “24” and “Mamba Forever” written on it as a tribute to the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, who wore that jersey quantity. And on high of that went a white jacket with the identical vital quantity stamped on the chest.

As good as ever, Djokovic went 27-1 within the sport’s most prestigious occasions this season: The lone blemish was a loss to Carlos Alcaraz within the last at Wimbledon in July. Djokovic will rise to No. 1 within the rankings on Monday, overtaking Alcaraz, who was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows however was eradicated by No. 3 Medvedev.

At the beginning Sunday, with the Arthur Ashe Stadium retractable roof shut due to rain within the forecast, Djokovic was snug as could be. No signal of the event weighing on him, no hint of the stress he acknowledged briefly arose late in his semifinal towards unseeded American Ben Shelton.

His exemplary motion good as ever, each stroke simply so, Djokovic got here out as his finest self. He grabbed 12 of the primary 16 factors – three through aces completely positioned, and with tempo, and 4 through exchanges that lasted 10 strokes or extra – alongside the way in which to leads of 3-0 and 4-1.

Medvedev, in distinction, appeared tight, jittery, the looping swings of his white racket breaking down repeatedly, whether or not on a trio of double-faults within the opening set or in the course of the lengthier factors, aside from on one 37-shot back-and-forth that ended when Djokovic blinked, stumbling as he flubbed a backhand.

Beyond that, although, Djokovic was as dependable as a metronome, anticipating practically all the pieces headed his method and scurrying this manner and that to retrieve and reply, as is his wont.