NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic raised his fingers within the air earlier than falling to his knees and crouching on the bottom, as practically 24,000 folks stood and roared in ovation. Whereas his face wasn’t seen, his entire physique shook as he sobbed.
On Sunday, Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 within the US Open remaining, additional cementing his title amongst, or maybe above, the game’s biggest. The triumph marks his twenty fourth main singles title, essentially the most by any participant of the Open period, and ties Margaret Courtroom’s long-standing report for essentially the most in tennis historical past.
“To make historical past [in] this sport is simply one thing actually outstanding and particular, clearly, in each potential approach, in each potential which means of the phrase,” Djokovic stated, whereas carrying a customized “24” jacket, on court docket after the win. “I by no means imagined that I’d be right here standing with you speaking about 24 Slams. I by no means thought that that will be the truth. However [in] the final couple of years I felt I had an opportunity, I’ve a shot on the historical past, and why not seize it if it is offered?”
It is an achievement that has been a lot mentioned. Serena Williams famously chased it for a number of years earlier than in the end retiring with 23 main titles, whereas Rafael Nadal hit 22 final yr however has been hampered by accidents.
“Twenty-four would in fact imply quite a bit, as 23 has meant quite a bit,” Djokovic stated in an interview with ESPN earlier than play acquired underway. “So any further one can be an enormous bonus. I am actually pleased with 23, I have to say. I’ve realized in my life to be pleased with what I’ve and be grateful for that.
“However in fact, I all the time need yet one more.”
For the 36-year-old Djokovic, reaching 24 could be one thing of a formality — most would argue he has already surpassed what Courtroom achieved in her profession as a result of the eras are merely not comparable. This report is just the newest milestone in Djokovic’s quest to safe his standing as the best of all time.
Djokovic received his twentieth main at Wimbledon two years in the past, placing himself in a tie with Nadal and Roger Federer for essentially the most main titles by a male participant. Nadal then took over sole possession of the lead by profitable his twenty first and twenty second throughout the Australian Open and French Open in 2022. Djokovic caught him on the Australian Open this yr after which catapulted into the lead with 23 when he received the French Open in June. The identical victory evened him with Williams for essentially the most by any participant within the Open period.
The accomplishment was heralded by many throughout the game, together with friends like Andy Murray, who has performed in opposition to him in seven Grand Slam finals.
“It is unimaginable what he is achieved,” Murray stated. “To have handed Rafa and Roger within the Grand Slam title chase, no matter you need to name it, it is wonderful. I believe when you look again [at the numbers from the past] eight to 10 years … type of how distant he was from them, what he is gone on to realize in type of the latter levels of his profession, it has been unimaginable. Additionally does not seem like he is slowing down.”
However whereas the monumental victory might need modified how he was perceived by some, it did not change a lot for Djokovic.
“I do not really feel extra relaxed, to be trustworthy,” Djokovic stated about reaching No. 23, earlier than Wimbledon started in July. “I nonetheless really feel hungry for achievement, for extra Grand Slams, extra achievements in tennis. … I need to attempt to use each Grand Slam alternative I’ve at this stage the place I am feeling good in my physique, feeling motivated and enjoying excellent tennis, to attempt to get extra.”
Courtroom has held the report for essentially the most Grand Slam singles titles since 1973, when she received her final US Open trophy. For a few years, nobody got here wherever close to to difficult it. Steffi Graf was the primary to return shut, however left the sport in 1999 with 22.
Williams received her twenty third singles title on the 2017 Australian Open and later revealed she was pregnant throughout the event. She left the tour for maternity go away till March 2018. Upon her return and for the following 4 years, she was unsuccessful in her makes an attempt at profitable a twenty fourth main. She reached 4 Grand Slam finals throughout that span however got here up quick every time, then retired following the 2022 US Open.
“There are individuals who say I am not the GOAT as a result of I did not go Margaret Courtroom’s report of 24 Grand Slam titles, which she achieved earlier than the ‘Open Period’ that started in 1968,” Williams wrote in Vogue when she introduced her impending departure from the game. “I would be mendacity if I stated I did not need that report. Clearly I do.”
Courtroom, 81, is a divisive determine within the sport. The founder and senior pastor of her Pentecostal ministry, Courtroom is staunchly against same-sex marriage and has beforehand expressed different controversial opinions, together with help of the previous system of apartheid in South Africa.
Courtroom believes there was an erasure of her title and achievements within the sport, and if one other participant have been to interrupt her report, it might additional take away her from conversations concerning the sport’s all-time greats. “A number of the press and tv immediately, notably in tennis, do not need to point out my title,” Courtroom stated in an interview final yr with Britain’s Every day Telegraph.
However even when her perception that she’s a persona non grata within the sport is right, to many, evaluating what Djokovic or Williams has achieved with Courtroom’s report earlier than the Open period is disingenuous.
“To me, data can solely be apples to apples in case your total profession happened within the Open period,” stated Pam Shriver, a 21-time main doubles champion, ESPN analyst and coach. “Reaching No. 24 is a good report to match, however I’ve to low cost any comparisons due to the way in which Margaret Courtroom was in a position to pad her report with 11 Australian Open titles.”
Earlier than the beginning of the Open period in 1968, solely amateurs have been allowed to take part in Grand Slam occasions, thus stopping a number of the greatest gamers on this planet from competing. And even after that rule change, the prohibitive price and challenges in getting midway around the globe prevented many prime gamers from competing on the Australian Open, so the sphere was made up largely of Australians.
Courtroom received her 11 titles in Melbourne from 1960 to 1973, and never as soon as throughout that point was there a whole draw of 64 gamers. There have been simply 27 gamers within the 1964 draw, and in a number of years she acquired a first-round bye. She received the 1966 title due to a walkover within the remaining earlier than the match began. Billie Jean King, her greatest rival, performed the occasion solely thrice whereas Courtroom was competing.
“For Djokovic, [Court’s record] is simply one other factor that is on the market,” stated Patrick McEnroe, a former top-30 participant and ESPN analyst. “It is nice but it surely’s simply one other report. For Serena, it meant extra as a result of it was one other lady, however to me, Serena is a much better participant than Margaret Courtroom even with out the report. [Court] was in a draw principally simply filled with Australians for nearly half of her titles so it is a completely totally different factor.
“I believe Djokovic likes [matching this record] however I do not suppose it is what’s driving him. He cared far more about topping [Rafael] Nadal and Federer. I believe he simply desires to maintain profitable titles and be unquestionably the best ever.”
Djokovic is a self-professed pupil of the sport and somebody who understands and appreciates the game’s historical past. He has by no means shied away from eager to be acknowledged among the many sport’s all-time greats for his achievements on and off the court docket.
Coming from Serbia, a rustic with restricted assets and missing a prolonged tennis custom, it is extra than simply particular person accolades for Djokovic. He desires to be the best on the court docket — and he additionally desires to make use of that energy to enhance the game.
“I do know what it appears like to return from nowhere and nothing,” Djokovic instructed ESPN. “I come from a war-torn nation. It has been troublesome to get [to this point], however [that struggle] is [engrained] in my mentality and I will not neglect it…
“I need to go away a legacy on and off the court docket. I’d love my friends, my colleagues, to recollect me as somebody who had a variety of success in tennis, however did not solely take into consideration himself, but additionally considered different gamers and ensuring that whereas he is on the prime of the sport, that he is utilizing his affect, he is utilizing his standing and his profile and his contact to create a greater ecosystem for gamers and customarily only for the game.”
After profitable the yr’s first two majors, Djokovic entered Wimbledon because the four-time defending champion, and appeared well-positioned to finish a calendar Grand Slam this yr. Solely 5 gamers in historical past have efficiently achieved it, and simply three — Rod Laver, Graf and Courtroom — did so within the Open period. Djokovic was one match away in 2021 earlier than dropping to Medvedev within the US Open remaining, and it stays one of many few issues Djokovic hasn’t achieved throughout his profession.
However the Wimbledon title, and his newest bid for the calendar Grand Slam, have been to not be. He was surprised by Carlos Alcaraz within the remaining with the trophy, and a lot extra, on the road. After the loss, he vowed to return again stronger.
He hasn’t misplaced a match since.
Djokovic arrived in New York after defeating Alcaraz in a three-set thriller for the Cincinnati title. Needing virtually 4 hours and saving match level, he later known as it “probably the most thrilling matches” he had ever performed.
Nobody knew what to anticipate from Djokovic on the US Open. Whereas he was actually a favourite to win, he hasn’t had the identical success in New York lately as he has had on the different Slams. He received the final of his three US Open titles in 2018. He had back-to-back fourth-round exits in 2019 and 2020 (when he was defaulted for inadvertently hitting a line decide with a ball), then misplaced within the 2021 remaining, and was unable to play in 2022 on account of his unvaccinated standing. However due to his absence final yr and with no factors to defend, he’ll regain his world No. 1 rating on Monday by merely reaching the second spherical.
However Djokovic was dominant throughout his keep in New York. Except for a baffling third-round match in opposition to fellow Serbian Laslo Djere, wherein he wanted to return again after dropping the primary two units, Djokovic’s run to the ultimate was hardly ever unsure. Throughout his semifinal match on Friday, Djokovic ended the Cinderella run of 20-year-old American Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) with relative ease. It was their first assembly and Shelton stated he may really feel the distinction between Djokovic and different gamers.
“Novak has a bit of extra fireplace to him than different guys that I’ve performed,” Shelton stated. “You possibly can simply see the aggressive spirit, , sort of simply oozing out of him. He is like that for just about the entire match, he is fairly locked in.”
Now, together with his twenty fourth main title, Djokovic has additional separated himself from the remainder of the sphere, together with Nadal and Federer. Holding a share of the all-time report leaves little argument, irrespective of the metric, about his standing as the perfect.
On Friday, after advancing to the ultimate, Djokovic expressed gratitude for getting the possibility to play for an additional main title, acknowledging every alternative might be his final on account of his age. However even when that have been the case, it would not change a lot about his place in historical past, in response to former world No. 4 and ESPN analyst James Blake.
“There’ll all the time be watercooler debates, however it’ll be robust, and rather more troublesome, for anybody to argue in every other route exterior of Novak being the best of all time with him at 24,” Blake stated. “To me, it is just like when Tom Brady received his fourth Tremendous Bowl and there was nonetheless that debate about him and Joe Montana [as the greatest ever], after which Brady goes and win his fifth, after which his sixth, and, effectively, the talk is over, after which it simply turned him including to his legend and his legacy. That is type of the state of affairs we’re in with Novak proper now.”