Novak Djokovic (again) made history on Sunday by beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3 7-6 6-3 in the US Open final to win his 24th Grand Slam title. Having caught up with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal throughout his career, the 36-year-old Serbian now seems almost certain to become the player with the most Grand Slam wins – and that includes the female players too.
With Sunday’s victory, Djokovic moved ahead of Serena Williams’ Open Era record of 23 major titles and, unless he is injured or decides to retire, he seems almost certain to add several more to his already historic trophy haul. One more Grand Slam title would put him ahead of Margaret Court, who also has 24 major titles to her name, albeit with the asterisk that many of those titles were won before the Open Era, when only amateur players were allowed to compete in all four Grand Slams.
“Writing the history of this sport is something truly remarkable and special,” Djokovic said at the trophy ceremony on Sunday. “I never imagined that I would be here talking about the 24 Grand Slams. I never thought that would be reality, but in recent years I have felt that I had a chance, I had a chance in history – and why not take it if it is presented.”
And while it remains to be seen whether Djokovic, who is not as universally beloved as his two greatest rivals, will leave the same indelible mark on tennis fans as Federer and Nadal undoubtedly did, his sporting legacy speaks for itself. As it stands, you’d be hard-pressed to find a statistic that doesn’t make Djokovic the greatest player of all time.
