Djokovic, 36, has won three out of the four Grand Slams this year and has no plans of slowing down. He has won 24 of his 25 career majors and is one behind the record set by Margaret Court at 24, two ahead of Rafael Nadal, and four clear of Roger Federer.
Djokovic has also won a remarkable seven of the last eight Grand Slams. He was unstoppable at Flushing Meadows, beating all his opponents in straight sets and going to a tiebreak just once — in the third round against Laslo Djere.
He has now won 23 of the last 26 tournaments he has played in at the All-England Club and has a commanding lead over Nadal to win a record 12th year-end No. 1 spot. And he is still going strong despite a painful elbow injury which has kept him out of action since the Madrid Open in May.
While the loss to Alcaraz was a shock, Djokovic insists it will not change his mentality in 2023. The world number one said he does not see the end of his career in sight and believes the future of tennis is in good hands with young gun Carlos Alcaraz leading the way.
‘As long as I play, I will be motivated and excited for every match. I want to keep playing; I enjoy it, and it is a privilege to continue doing what I love.’
The defending champion started the season well, winning back-to-back titles in Australia and at Wimbledon. But he was then beaten in five sets by the 20-year-old in a Wimbledon final that was hailed as a changing of the guard in men’s tennis.
Djokovic missed the French Open as he battled an elbow injury but was back to his best at Roland Garros, defeating Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-8 in the quarter-final before cruising past Casper Ruud.
His performance in the final was a reminder of how dominant Djokovic can be when fully fit and healthy. The Serb thumped his opponent with relentless power on both serve and return and was most efficient when breaking early in the second and third sets.
After securing his fifth US Open title, Djokovic looked relaxed as he chatted with the media. His family then embraced the world as he climbed onto the podium to accept his winner’s trophy and the record $1 million prize money. He wore a shirt with the message “24 Mamba Forever” as a tribute to late NBA star Kobe Bryant. He then threw his racket away and knelt on the court with his head bowed, an act which meant a lot to him.
