Daniil Medvedev defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open finals to capture his first career Grand Slam. Medvedev got the win in a surprisingly dominant fashion, needing only three sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) to outlast the world’s No. 1 male tennis player.
Djokovic entered the match with a historic achievement on the line. If he were to win, the 34-year-old Serbian would become the first man since 1969 and Rod Laver to complete calendar Grand Slam, having previously won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. He would also capture record 21st career Grand Slam, breaking a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
But while Djokovic thrived under pressure many times in his career before, it seems that he broke down under the weight of expectations on Sunday. Uncharacteristic for him, he missed clean shots, made unforced errors, and struggled with Medvedev’s serve even though Russian double-faulted more times than once.
Medvedev’s determination and overall great performance also played a big part in Djokovic’s downfall. The 25-year-old star chased down seemingly lost balls, dominated the baseline, used groundstrokes to perfection, and broke through serving troubles multiple times.
Medvedev also showed mental toughness that allowed him to stick to his game even when it seemed Djokovic was on the verge of a comeback. After racing to a 4-0 lead and then 5-1 lead in the third set, Medvedev saw Djokovic crawling back to 5-4 while denying him a championship point. But he wasn’t about to be denied for the second time, comfortably taking the next game and collapsing to the ground of Arthur Ashe Stadium overwhelmed with excitement.
