Daniil Medvedev, the World No. 3, pulled off a major upset by defeating the top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open on Friday evening. Medvedev’s victory means he will face the experienced Novak Djokovic in the men’s final on Sunday. This final will be a repeat of the 2021 US Open, where Medvedev emerged as the winner against Djokovic in straight sets.
In 2021, Medvedev claimed his first and only Grand Slam title by defeating Djokovic. On the other hand, Djokovic will be striving to win his 24th major trophy at this event.
Last year, Medvedev was unable to defend his title at the US Open after losing to Nick Kyrgios in the Round of 16. However, he has clearly moved past that disappointing result. In their previous two encounters this year, Medvedev struggled against Alcaraz. But on Friday evening, he defeated the young Spanish star with a score of 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
In the first semifinal of the night, Djokovic, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, defeated unseeded American Ben Shelton with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). Djokovic has previously won the US Open in 2011, 2015, and 2018, and he shows no signs of slowing down as he prepares for his 36th career Grand Slam final.
With his win on Friday, Djokovic has reached the final of all four Grand Slams in one season for the third time in his career. He previously achieved this feat in 2015 and 2021.
No. 2 Novak Djokovic defeats Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
Shelton, the youngest American man to reach the US Open semifinals since Michael Chang in 1992, was unable to overcome Djokovic’s dominance. This means that the US has once again failed to produce a male Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick’s victory in 2003, and has not reached a final since 2009.
Djokovic took control of the match early on, winning the last four games of the second set. While Shelton put up a fight in the third set, Djokovic ultimately prevailed and secured the victory.
Shelton managed to register a 145 mph serve in the third set and put up a strong fight to force a tiebreak. However, Djokovic, a seasoned veteran, remained composed and won the tiebreak, maintaining his impressive record in such situations. Reflecting on his performance, Djokovic stated, “These are the kind of matches and occasions that I still thrive on. They still get me going and inspire me to wake up and work hard like the young guys. Grand Slams are the occasions that motivate me the most to play my best tennis.”
He added, “I’ve been blessed to really play this sport for so many years, and I’ve achieved a lot but I still feel I have something in my legs left. I still feel I have something to give to the sport.”
No. 3 Daniil Medvedev defeats No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Despite losing to Alcaraz earlier this year in the Indian Wells final and Wimbledon semifinals, Medvedev made adjustments and started the match strongly on Friday.
The first set ended in a tiebreak, which Medvedev won, securing his first set victory against Alcaraz in 2023. He carried the momentum into the second set, winning the first three games.
Alcaraz managed to win one game, preventing Medvedev from winning a fourth consecutive set. However, Medvedev remained unfazed and ultimately took the set 6-1. This put him in a favorable position, as he had maintained a perfect record of 25-0 after winning the first two sets at the US Open, while Alcaraz had never come back from a two-set deficit to win.
After a bathroom break, Alcaraz came back determined and won the third set. The fourth set was highly contested, with Medvedev taking a 4-2 lead after a grueling 12-minute game. He quickly won the next game as well, but Alcaraz made the final game challenging by creating several advantages.
Expressing his joy at reaching the US Open final, Medvedev said, “Amazing, especially beating someone like Carlos. I lost to him twice fairly easily this year, so before the match, there were definitely a lot of doubts. I told myself I needed to play at an 11 out of 10 level. I played at a 12 out of 10 level, except for the third set. That’s the only way… To beat him, you need to be better than yourself.”
