“What are you continue to doing right here?” Daniil Medvedev joked with Novak Djokovic after the Serb’s historic twenty fourth Grand Slam win.
“I do not know, when do you intend to decelerate a little bit?” inquired the Russian.
It is a honest query.
Overcoming Medvedev In straight units on Sunday, The 36-year-old Djokovic has equaled Margaret Courtroom’s file of 24 main singles titles to face on the pinnacle of his sport.
It appeared to imply greater than anything earlier than her. Feelings flowed over Djokovic because the magnitude of his achievement elevated, earlier than celebrations started together with his household and crew members.
His coach Goran Ivanisevic later declared: “This is likely one of the largest achievements within the historical past of sports activities.” “We’re not speaking about tennis. We’re speaking on the whole about sports activities.”
He added: “If he wins 25, he’ll suppose why not 26?” It is at all times one thing else, one thing extra.
“He takes care of his physique, he takes care of the whole lot, and each element needs to be excellent.”
Maybe most putting is that the Serbian – an unparalleled participant within the Open Period (since tennis turned skilled in 1968) – has achieved such exceptional heights regardless of competing within the best period the boys’s sport has ever seen.
His twenty fourth Grand Slam title strengthened his lead over his rival Rafael Nadal to 2 titles within the ongoing race for supremacy, after the retirement of Swiss legend Roger Federer with 20 titles.
However whereas Spaniard Nadal has introduced his plans to cease on the finish of the 2024 season, there are not any indicators of Djokovic’s exceptional profession coming to an finish.
“I haven’t got any quantity in thoughts proper now about what number of Grand Slams I wish to win,” Djokovic stated.
“Understanding that I am nonetheless taking part in at such a excessive stage and profitable the most important tournaments, I do not wish to go away this sport if I am nonetheless on the prime.”
Djokovic takes revenge on US Open court docket match
Djokovic admitted that the load of historical past contributed to the poor efficiency when he misplaced to Medvedev within the US Open closing, and he was on the verge of attaining a surprising Grand Slam title in 2021, solely to overlook profitable all 4 main titles in the identical 12 months.
However two months after Carlos Alcaraz was denied his twenty fourth title in an epic five-set Wimbledon closing, he was not letting his final likelihood move him by.
The potential for profitable all 4 Grand Slams in the identical 12 months was not at stake right here – though matching Rod Laver in that regard is little doubt a feat that can stay on his thoughts after shedding only one Grand Slam match in 2023.
Nonetheless, profitable the twenty fourth title represents crucial trophy of his illustrious profession thus far.
The one participant to have beforehand reached 24 titles is Australian Courtroom, whose achievements got here throughout tennis’ transition to an expert sport.
Whereas Djokovic gained his titles within the Open period, the vast majority of Courtroom’s titles – 13 to be precise – arrived earlier than 1968. Up till that time, amateurs had been competing for Grand Slams whereas prime gamers have been looking for the prize cash on supply at particular occasions.
He was a think about that Serena Williams identified When she talked about her painful failure to match Courtroom’s numbers when she retired final 12 months.
“I feel (Djokovic is the best of all time). How will you argue with these numbers?” stated BBC Radio 5 commentator David Regulation.
“He is obtained the identical quantity as Kurt, and to be trustworthy, they have been recorded at a time when tennis was a special sport. Loads of them have been on the Australian Open, when there wasn’t as a lot competitors.
“He needed to chase Federer and Nadal, and play in opposition to them once they have been at their finest. He needed to chase them, regardless that he was a lot much less widespread with the followers.”
| Grand Slam | Margaret Courtroom | Novak Djokovic |
| Australian Open Championship | 11 | 10 |
| French Open | 5 | 3 |
| Wimbledon | 3 | 7 |
| US Open | 5 | 4 |
Courtroom gained her first singles title on residence soil on the Australian Open in 1960, the place she gained 11 instances, most just lately in New York in 1973.
Likewise, Djokovic has set an all-time file of 10 males’s titles in Melbourne since claiming his first title there in 2008.
Wimbledon is his subsequent most profitable event, as he is just one title shy of Federer’s file of eight wins.
One accomplishment Kurt has that Djokovic has but to realize is that elusive Grand Slam.
Kurt is one among 5 individuals to have gained a Grand Slam, profitable all 4 Grand Slams in 1970. Rod Laver and Don Budge are the 2 males who did so.
The “tremendous” Djokovic “will not cease quickly”
That is the fourth season in Djokovic’s profession through which he has gained three Grand Slam titles, turning into the primary man to take action on the identical variety of events.
The information preserve falling and the numbers concerned turn out to be extra astonishing with every success.
The win over Medvedev got here in Djokovic’s thirty sixth Grand Slam closing, and his tenth US Open closing – matching Invoice Tilden’s whole.
He’s the oldest man to win at Flushing Meadows within the Open Period, surpassing Ken Rosewall, who gained in 1970 on the age of 35.
General, he’s the fourth oldest Grand Slam champion. By subsequent 12 months’s US Open, he shall be sufficiently old to beat Rosewall and set that file.
Along with his 96th profession title general, he closed the hole between Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) as probably the most male gamers within the Open Period.
“I do not suppose it is going to cease anytime quickly,” former British participant Annabel Croft instructed BBC Radio 5 Reside. “Why would he try this? It was virtually an ideal season.
“We witnessed one thing extremely particular tonight. We witnessed him join Margaret Courtroom with 24 titles. It took some time to get there however he did. He is superhuman, is not he.”
On Monday, Djokovic will return to world primary, changing the 20-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz, who misplaced to Medvedev within the semi-finals and who now appears the most important menace to his bid for an all-time file No. 25 on the Grand Slam.
The Serbian has spent probably the most weeks at primary within the historical past of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) and subsequent week shall be his 390th week on the prime of the boys’s world rankings.
“You need to reinvent your self, as a result of everyone seems to be doing it,” Djokovic stated. “As a 36-year-old competing in opposition to 20-year-olds, I in all probability have to do this greater than ever.”
“It is a fixed, evolving course of for me, as I attempt to implement sure issues that can give me a bonus over youthful arms,” the four-time US Open champion added.
It’s obscure what he may need achieved in one other period.
Because the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have collectively gained 66 of the 81 Grand Slam titles obtainable throughout that interval.
That represents greater than 81% of the titles obtainable, with solely 15 Slams in 20 years going to different gamers.
And now Djokovic intends to extend this share much more when he returns to his favourite Grand Slam event in January.
“Making historical past on this sport is absolutely wonderful and particular,” Djokovic stated.
“I by no means imagined I’d be right here speaking about 24 Grand Slams. I by no means thought this might be the truth. However within the final two years I’ve felt like I’ve an opportunity, an opportunity in historical past – and why should not I take it if it is provided?”
