ATP
Djokovic re-writes history with 24th Grand Slam success
Novak Djokovic fulfilled his tennis dream on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 defeat of Daniil Medvedev which took the Serb to a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
The world No. 2 pulled level with historical leader Margaret Court, who set the record back in the day half a century ago in an entirely different tennis world.
Djokovic took revenge against Medvedev after losing to his rival here in the 2021 final – also in straight sets. That defeat prevented the 36-year-old from winning a calendar-year Grand Slam.
The Serb now owns four trophies from Flushing Meadows after playing in 10 finals here.
Djokovic fell to the court, kneeling face down and letting loose with tears of joy after winning when Medvedev sent a return into the net on match point..
Once he regained composure – and tossed his racquet to a female fan in the crowd – he was escorted by five security men into the stands, where he hugged friends and family in the most emotional moment of his career.
The Djokovic team then broke out specially designed white jackets with a large “24” emblazoned on the right breast. Djokovic also put on a t-shirt honours his late friend Kobe Bryant, who wore the number 24 during his basketball career.
“This means the world to me, I’m living my childhood dream,” the winner said.
“I always wanted to compete on the highest level on the court. Tennis has given me and my family so much, coming from a difficult background and adversity.
“This is a trophy for my team and my family as much as it is for me.
“To make history is remarkable and special in every meaning of the word.
“I never thought I’d be talking of 24 Grand Slam titles, I never thought this would be reality.”
He added: “Over the last several years I knew I had a shot at history – why not grab it when it is presented?”
Djokovic claimed his fourth US Open crown in his10th final here.
This title match was the first in New York between former champs since 2018 when Djokovic beat del Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 winner.
.Medvedev took defeat well, even if it spoiled his wedding anniversary with his wife sitting in his player box throughout the match.
The runner-up was playing his third final here in the last five years and won the 2021 title.
“What are you still doing here,” he joked to veteran Djokovic. “This was our third (Grand Slam) final but maybe not out last.
“But when will you be slowing down a bit?
“I’ve not had a bad career and I have 25 titles – but you have 24 Grand Slams – wow.”
Medvedev called his defeat of Djokovic here two years ago “the pinnacle of my career.
“Novak always pushed me to be better.I wanted to do better and the crowd has been pushing me all the time.
.”I hope to have one more time to hold this trophy again.”
Djokoivic announced his intentions as he broke Medvedev in the second game of the match, with the third seed caught on the back foot as he tried to get started.
The Serb second seed missed two set point chances as his opponent held for 3-5. But Djokovic didn’t have long to wait as he claimed the set in 48 minutes as Medvedev landed a backhand long.
In the seventh game of the second set, Djokovic tumbled over in apparent fatigue after losing a 31-shot rally, though the act appeared to be more for dramatics than actual exhaustion.
But the Serb kept his composure and captured the set after another one and three-quarter hours as the running total for two sets played hit more than two and a half hours.
Djokovic kept up his intensity in the third set as the finishing line drew closer in front of 24,000.
He applied what he had hoped would be finishing touches as he broke for 3-1 in the third set, only to lose it a game later as Medvedev struck back.
But a game later, Djokovic again took the lead as Medvedev sent a return into the net to trail 4-2.
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a reprieve due to fading light with his second round match at the Swiss Open Gstaad stopped with the Greek deadlocked with local Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7 (2), 5-5.
The math had to be halted as night fell and electronic linecalling computers could not read the path of the ball on the clay in contrast to humans who could have carried on for a few additional minutes..
The 27-year-old Tsitsipas was taking the worst of it in the concluding stage after a promising start.against a journeyman opponent ranked 186.
Tsitsipas, his ranking down to 85th after once standing third in the world, lashed out verbally in the last few games, apparently frustrated with his racquet reactions.
The Greek was quick to make his point of an overnight stoppage to the chair umpire while Kym – who reached 5-all with a love service hold – left the court with a defiant fist pump for his public in this alpine resort village.
The cutoff came after just over two hours of play, with the contest to be concluded on Thursday. The winner reaches the Friday quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas produced his last notable result in April with a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Masters,
He is aiming for his second quarter-final of the season after Doha in February and his 2025 Barcelona 15 months ago.
Tsitsipas stands 10-1 vs. players ranked outside the top 100 this season with a sole loss to No. 104 Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Roland Garros second round.
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
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