(New York) As in 2021, Novak Djokovic plays for history on Sunday: he aims for a 24th at the United States Opene major title to equal Margaret Court’s absolute record, but like two years ago, he will find Daniil Medvedev on his way who had deprived him of the feat of a calendar Grand Slam.
This defeat in 2021 is one of the most traumatic of his career as the Serb, whose hunt for records is now the reason for living on the circuit, was only three sets away from becoming the first player to win the four Majors in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.
“Overwhelmed by emotions”, according to his confession – he even cried on the court during a change of ends at the end of the game – the Djoker was unable to oppose his best level to Medvedev.
This time, when he has again played the finals of the four Majors of the season, but is no longer in the running for the Grand Slam, he is trying to put himself in a different state of mind, by first minimizing the scope of a possible victory.
Do not think about it
“Every time I play a Grand Slam final, I am aware that it is an opportunity to write a page in the history of tennis, and I am proud of it. But I don’t have time, and I refrain from thinking too much about the historical aspect,” assures Djokovic.
PHOTO TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Novak Djokovic after his victory in the semi-finals on Friday.
Especially since this record of Margaret Court, he already believed he could put it in his pocket in July at Wimbledon during the first duel in the Grand Slam final against Carlos Alcaraz.
“I was very close to reaching the 24 in London, but I lost a tight final in five sets against someone stronger than me,” he recalls, who was then undefeated in the grass tournament. since losing in the quarter-finals in 2017.
At Flushing Meadows, he will face Medvedev who, too, had ended a historic series of 27 matches won in a row over the Grand Slam season. The Russian in fact eliminated Alcaraz in the semi-finals by recalling how strong he was on hard, his favorite surface.
PHOTO KENA BETANCUR, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Daniil Medvedev after getting the better of Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.
He will present himself on Sunday with the best record on this surface of the season and even of the last five years: he has 38 victories in 2023 (4 titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami) and since 2018, he has been the most awarded player with 18 titles including the 2021 US Open, 28 finals including the 2023 and 2019 US Open, as well as the 2021 and 2022 Australian Open, and 234 matches won.
“Danger situation”
He and Alcaraz are the last players to have beaten Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, but the Russian is nevertheless very wary of the Serbian who will play his tenth American final (Bill Tilden’s record equaled), the 36e in Grand Slam (new record now five lengths ahead of Roger Federer).
“Each time, he is stronger than the previous match,” explains Medvedev. In 2021, I beat him at the US Open and the next time he beat me at Bercy. He lost at Wimbledon to Alcaraz and beat him in Cincinnati the next time. I will face the best Novak possible on Sunday and I will have to be myself at a level that I have never reached before if I want to try to beat him,” said the Russian.
Djokovic (36) and Medvedev (27) have already faced each other 14 times, with nine victories for the Serb. So tactically, both players know what to expect.
“We both know pretty much what to do. But it’s always the same, you know what to do, but now you have to be able to do it,” emphasizes the Russian.
His French trainer Gilles Cervara believes that it will mainly be a psychological story.
“You have to put yourself back in a situation of danger and uncertainty which puts you at the top of the best,” explains the coach. The danger is believing that we have leads and that we know how to do it. No, no, no, we don’t know how to do it! Against Alcaraz, it was a great match, a great victory, but it was only a semi-final. We need final victory! »
