Novak Djokovic is two sets from securing his 24th Grand Slam title.
Two years after suffering a stunning upset to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final, the Serbian leads the 27-year-old 6-3 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The last time the pair met at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic was trying to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in the same season. On that occasion, he was unable to find his best tennis and a surging Medvedev triumphed in straight sets.
Djokovic is in much better form Sunday. He broke serve in his first return game of the match en route to a 3-0 lead and has been locked in from the baseline, where he has played aggressively in rallies to prevent his opponent from settling in.
Medvedev has not played poorly, but the second seed has just been a little bit sharper in gruelling points. Djokovic has not forced his way forward as much as Carlos Alcaraz did on Friday against Medvedev, but he has served-and-volleyed to take advantage of his opponent's deep return position five times, winning four of those points.
The 36-year-old Djokovic is 72-1 at the US Open after winning the first set, with his only loss coming in the 2016 final against Stan Wawrinka.
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Two months ago, Djokovic suffered a heartbreaking five-set defeat in the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz. The 23-time major champion has carried an intense demeanour since returning to action in Cincinnati, winning all 11 of his matches following his loss at SW19.
If Djokovic defeats Medvedev, he will pass Alcaraz for first place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He is trying to secure ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone for a record-extending eighth time.
Medvedev is trying to become the first player to defeat the top two seeds en route to the US Open title since Manuel Orantes in 1975. The Tour's 2023 leader in hard-court wins (38) upset Alcaraz in four sets in the semi-finals.
Did You Know?
This year’s US Open men’s singles final between Djokovic (36 years) and Medvedev (27) is the oldest in the Open Era at 63 years, nine months. The previous record belonged to the 2022 championship clash between Pete Sampras (31) and Andre Agassi (32).