ATP world number 2 Daniil Medvedev stunned the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night when he defeated tournament favorite Novak Djokovic in three straight sets to lift the US Open title. This is Medvedev’s first major ATP title.
Following his 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory, Medvedev acknowledged Djokovic’s talent during his victory speech, confirming: “I never said this to anybody, but I’ll say it right now. For me, you are the greatest tennis player in history.”
Medvedev’s victory ensured that Djokovic would not be able to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam, the first of its kind in men’s tennis since 1969. Furthermore, the ATP world number one was denied his 21st Grand Slam title, which would have seen him overtake both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the race for the most career Grand Slam titles in ATP history.
The second-seeded Medvedev got his title fight off to a strong start, winning 20 of his first 23 service points. He also served 16 aces and hit 38 winners in all; 11 more than his Serbian opponent.
Medvedev, whose service was only broken once throughout the match, lost just one set throughout the tournament.
