Defending his title at the US Open, Novak Djokovic tightened his iron grip on men’s tennis in 2023, but fans got another glimpse of the sport’s future flagbearers. Having suffocated the competition on return yet making his opponents feel like they’re playing in a narrow space, Djokovic has carved out a mighty reputation for himself over the past decade.
The Serb holds 24 Grand Slam titles and has a shot at surpassing Jimmy Connors for most career Tour wins in the Open Era before his 40th birthday. Djokovic has also won more majors in a calendar year than any man in history.
But new kids on the block, a group that has ascended for the last few years, are ready to splash. And the older player was forced to adjust when Djokovic faced the younger Daniil Medvedev in a final that was as draining as it was exhilarating.
It was a match that required as much grit as talent, and Djokovic had to re-assess his approach when the second set tiebreak started to loom in the distance. After one elongated point of mid-court half-volleys and drop shots, Medvedev took the lead, but Djokovic held on to force the decider and stayed in the locker room with his head on his shoulder.
When he returned for the second set, Djokovic reverted to serve-and-volley mode to significant effect. He won all 20 points he went to the net for and 37 of 44 overall as he raked in volleys from angles a pool shark would appreciate. He dropped just one point in the match, and that was when he served for the second set at 5-4.
Djokovic held his nerve and clinched victory in the fifth game, but the late blow came from Jannik Sinner, who threw himself at a long forehand from deep in the service box to win an epic third set. The result meant Djokovic lost just one set in the tournament, and he is now poised to push for a Golden Slam of winning all four majors and the Olympic crown in Paris next year.
After a disappointing start to the year and a semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, some had wondered whether Djokovic’s hold on men’s tennis was starting to loosen. But with a 10th Australian Open in his back pocket, Djokovic has shown no sign of slowing down. And with the US lifting its coronavirus pandemic, the Serbian is once again free to travel and take on the youngsters knocking at his door. No one will play his first Paris Masters of the year this week and be the favorite to reclaim the top spot on the ATP Rankings. The extra time between events could help him avoid the pitfalls that have hurt some of his rivals. But he’ll still have to show he has the mental and physical edge to retain his dominance.