(New York) As in 2021, Novak Djokovic is playing for history on Sunday: he is aiming for a 24th major title at the United States Open to equal Margaret Court’s absolute record, but like two years ago, he will find himself on his route Daniil Medvedev who had deprived him of the feat of a calendar Grand Slam.
This defeat in 2021 is one of the most traumatic of his career as the Serb, whose hunt for records is now the reason for living on the circuit, was only three sets away from becoming the first player to win the four Majors in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.
“Overwhelmed by emotions”, according to his confession – he even cried on the court during a change of sides at the end of the game – the Djoker could not oppose his best level to Medvedev.
This time, when he has again played the finals of the four Majors of the season, but is no longer in the running for the Grand Slam, he is trying to put himself in a different state of mind, by first minimizing the scope of a possible victory.
“Every time I play a Grand Slam final, I know it’s an opportunity to make tennis history, and I’m proud of it. But I don’t have time, and I refrain from thinking too much about the historical aspect,” assures Djokovic.
Especially since this record of Margaret Court, he already believed he could put it in his pocket in July at Wimbledon during the first duel in the Grand Slam final against Carlos Alcaraz.
“I was very close to reaching 24 in London, but I lost against stronger than me a close final in five sets”, he recalls, he who then appeared undefeated in the tournament on grass. since losing in the quarter-finals in 2017.
At Flushing Meadows, he will face Medvedev who, too, had ended a historic series of 27 games won in a row over the Grand Slam season. The Russian in fact eliminated Alcaraz in the semi-finals by recalling how strong he was on hard, his favorite surface.
He will present himself on Sunday with the best record on this surface of the season and even of the last five years: he has 38 victories in 2023 (4 titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami) and since 2018, he has been the most awarded player with 18 titles including the 2021 US Open, 28 finals including the 2023 and 2019 US Open, as well as the 2021 and 2022 Australian Open, and 234 matches won.
He and Alcaraz are the last players to have beaten Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, but the Russian is nevertheless very wary of the Serbian who will play his tenth American final (Bill Tilden’s record equaled), the 36th in a Grand Slam (new record with five steps ahead of Roger Federer now).
“Every time, he is stronger than in the previous match,” explains Medvedev. In 2021, I beat him at the US Open and the next time he beat me at Bercy. He lost at Wimbledon to Alcaraz and beat him in Cincinnati the next time. I’m going to face the best Novak possible on Sunday and I’ll have to be myself at a level that I’ve never reached before if I want to try to beat him,” said the Russian.
Djokovic (36) and Medvedev (27) have already faced each other 14 times, with nine victories for the Serb. So tactically, both players know what to expect.
“We both pretty much know what to do. But it’s always the same, you know what to do, but now you have to manage to do it, “said the Russian.
His French trainer Gilles Cervara believes that it will mainly be a psychological story.
“You have to put yourself back into a situation of danger and uncertainty which puts you at the top of the best,” explains the coach. The danger is believing that we have leads and that we know how to do it. No, no, no, we don’t know how to do it! Against Alcaraz, it was a great match, a great victory, but it was only a semi-final. We need final victory! »