A phenomenal two weeks of tennis at the US Open has brought an end to the fourth Grand Slam of 2023 – and Novak Djokovic came within one set of winning all four of them.
The legendary player continued his blistering form to claim victory in New York, while Coco Gauff made home advantage count as she won her home tournament for the first time.
Djokovic equals Grand Slam record
Djokovic bounced back from his Wimbledon final defeat in style by claiming his fourth US Open title over the weekend. The Serbian beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at Flushing Meadows to win the prestigious tournament for the first time since 2018.
The win was his 24th Grand Slam, taking him equal with previous record holder Margaret Court, whose last title came in 1973. One more title for Djokovic will make him the most successful player in the Open era and, in the eyes of many, the greatest player of all time.
Djokovic was imperious at Flushing Meadows as he stormed to victory, only dropping two sets in the entire competition. Those both came in the third round against fellow countryman Laslo Djere, who forced Djokovic to work hard and win the final three sets to progress.
The US Open is Djokovic’s third major title of the year, with only a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon denying him his first Career Grand Slam.
At 36, Djokovic is now the oldest male slam winner in the Open era. But fans and foes alike will still have plenty of chances to see him attempt to break the record as he insists he has no intention of retiring just yet.
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Gauff makes home advantage count
Gauff has been tipped to be the future of US tennis and she claimed the first Grand Slam title of her career at Flushing Meadows. The 19-year-old came from a set down on Saturday to beat Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Gauff’s win on home soil meant she became the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams achieved the feat way back in 1999.
Having crashed out in the quarter-finals a year ago, Gauff was relentless throughout the tournament in New York. She dropped just three sets on her route to the final.
Gauff’s previous best result in a Grand Slam came last year when she reached the French Open final, losing to Iga Swiatek. And after claiming her first major title, it seems inevitable that we’ll now see her lifting silverware on a regular basis.
A memorable US Open
Having enjoyed a remarkable win over Djokovic at Wimbledon, Alcaraz was unable to maintain his momentum in the US Open. A rematch in the final looked to be on the cards but he came unstuck against Medvedev in the semis.
Alcaraz lost a first set tie break before admitting afterwards that he lost his head and wasn’t mature to handle the pressure. Luckily for him, he’s still only 20 so will undoubtedly learn from the experience.
Elsewhere, ladies Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová was also unable to repeat her fairytale win. The Czech was seeking an unlikely second Grand Slam title but she was beaten in the quarter-finals to American star Madison Keys.
2012 winner Andy Murray made it to the second round where he was beaten in straight sets by Grigor Dimitrov. While it’s unclear where the 36-year-old’s future lies, he only has tennis on his mind for now having joined up with the Great Britain squad for the Davis Cup group stage in Manchester.
And there was British success at the US Open for Joe Salisbury. The six-time Grand Slam champion won his third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows alongside Rajeev Ram in the men’s doubles.
Join us at Wimbledon next year
With the form Djokovic is currently in, there’s a very good chance that he’ll reach the Wimbledon final once again next summer – and it may well be for the last time.
So, if you want to see him avenge his 2023 defeat in the flesh, as well as the ladies final, beat the queue and enjoy it from the best seats in the house with Engage’s exclusive hospitality packages.
