In the final of the men’s US Open – no surprises: the first and second seeded, the first and second rackets of the world, Novak Djokovic from Serbia and Daniil Medvedev from Russia will meet.
Djokovic is pursuing a unique achievement – if he wins, he will issue a career Grand Slam (wins all the majors of the season) first after Rod Laver back in 1969, and will also surpass the main rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Helmets. Now the dream troika has 20 titles each. Novak is aiming for 21, and Medvedev will try to stop him. This is Daniel’s second final at the US Open and the third at the Helmets. He lost the previous ones, the last one – just to Djokovic at the Australian Open.
US Open
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As we walked along the grid
Novak Djokovic
- Round 1: Holger Rune (Denmark) – 6: 1, 7: 6 (5), 6: 2, 6: 1
- 2nd round: Tallon Griekspur (Netherlands) – 6: 2, 6: 3, 6: 2
- 3rd round: Kei Nishikori (Japan) – 6: 7 (4), 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 2
- 4th round: Jenson Brooksby (USA) – 1: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2, 6: 2
- Quarter-finals: Matteo Berrettini (Italy) – 5: 7, 6: 2, 6: 2, 6: 3
- Semifinal: Alexander Zverev (Germany) – 4: 6, 6: 2, 4: 6, 6: 4, 6: 2
Daniil Medvedev
- 1st round: Richard Gasquet (France) – 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 1
- 2nd round: Dominik Koepfer (Germany) – 6: 4, 6: 1, 6: 2
- 3rd round: Pablo Andujar (Spain) – 6: 0, 6: 4, 6: 3
- 4th round: Daniel Evans (Great Britain) – 6: 3, 6: 4, 6: 3
- Quarter-finals: Botik van de Sandshulp (Netherlands) – 6: 3, 6: 0, 4: 6, 7: 5
- Semifinal: Felix Auger-Alyassim (Canada) – 6: 4, 7: 5, 6: 2
Daniil Medvedev
Фото: Getty Images
The numbers speak
- Head-to-head statistics are 5-3 in favor of Djokovic.
- The last match, the final of the Australian Open in February 2021, ended in a defeat in favor of the Serb – 7: 5, 6: 2, 6: 2.
- Out of five hard meetings, Djokovic won three, Medvedev took one victory on clay.
- In case of victory, Novak will issue the 21st title at the Grand Slam tournaments – no one has ever done this before.
- Also at stake for Djokovic is the calendar “Helmet” – in the Open Era, only Rod Laver did it in 1969.
- Medvedev will play in the third final of TBSh, he lost two previous ones.
Who said what
Novak Djokovic: “Of course I know what’s at stake. But I want to focus on the things that work best for me. I have my own routine, people around. I’m going to isolate myself and gain energy for the next battle. On the court, I said that I would approach this match as if it were the last in my life. It will be the most important match of my career, or maybe not, I don’t know. But this year for sure.
This will be a battle with Medvedev, and he is in amazing shape. He has won many matches on hard lately. We have already played in the Australian Open finals this year, so I know what to expect. He already has two Grand Slam finals. In terms of experience, things will be different now. I am sure he will do everything to win the first “Helmet” in his career.
Novak Djokovic
Фото: Getty Images
Daniil Medvedev: “In terms of tactics, the Australian Open final taught me a lot. Because he played in it differently than in previous matches, and I was not ready for this. And now I’m ready. I think in terms of tactics this match will be more interesting. I also always give my best, but in Melbourne I didn’t leave my heart on the court. Of course, I wanted to win, but for some reason I could not turn on. Now I will try to do it. Whatever the score, I will fight and give my all even harder than in Melbourne.
If I manage to defeat him, then, probably, I will go down in history as the person who did not let him go to the Grand Slam. But it doesn’t bother me. I think it affects him more. On the one hand, he will definitely be under pressure. On the other hand, in difficult moments, he always plays even better. I don’t know, let’s say he will lose 1: 2 or 0: 2 in sets and with a break. He always gives all the best, but maybe at another moment, on another “Helmet” he would not have come up with something. And here he will definitely try everything to reach the goal. “
Bookmaker quotes:
The Russian tennis player gave only one set in the tournament, the Serbian closed only one match with 3: 0 against the 121st racket of the world, but the odds for Djokovic’s victory prevail. This is not surprising – the status of the TBS final always crosses out past achievements and the path along the grid, which was much easier for Medvedev due to the early departure of his rivals from the top 10. The odds for the AO final were almost equal, but then Daniil lost without a chance.
This time the match will obviously be more persistent: on the American hard, Medvedev feels more confident than on the Australian, and he still retained enough strength, which Djokovic threw out in the semifinal five-set against Alexander Zverev.
