Daniil Medvedev made history and became only the third Russian to win a major on Sunday. He wins his first major title with a stunning 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Novak Djokovic in the US Open 2021 final. Meanwhile, he prevented the World number 1 from winning his 21st Grand Slam.
The Serbian would have made history and broke several records if he managed to win the US Open 2021 final. He was all set to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in one season. Moreover, he would have broken a tie with Federer and Nadal for the most major titles in history (20 each).
"You never know if you're going to achieve [winning a major] in your career. I was always saying if I don't, I just want to know that I did my best to do it, [I feel] a lot of happiness. That's my first Grand Slam. I don't know how I'm going to feel if I win a second one or third one. That's my first one, so I'm really happy. Means a lot to me."
Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev arguably played the game of his life, on the other hand, Djokovic seemed frustrated and missed several chances to break and failed to capitalise over his opponent. Medvedev made his first major final two years ago on the same court but lost against Nadal. However, this time dominated right from the start and bagged his first major after fighting for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
| Stat | Novak Djokovic | Daniil Medvedev |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-Serve Pts Won | 80% (40/50) | 80% (41/51) |
| 2nd-Serve Pts Won | 40% (17/42) | 58% (22/38) |
| Break Pts Saved | 50% (4/8) | 83% (5/6) |
| Break Pts Converted | 17% (1/6) | 50% (4/8) |
| Net Pts Won | 66% (31/47) | 50% (6/12) |
| Winners | 27 | 38 |
| Unforced Errors | 38 | 31 |
Djokovic was very near to create history but unfortunately, he failed to win. While one history was destroyed, another one was created by Medvedev as he became the third Russian after Kafelnikov and Safin to win a major title.
In the post-match interview, Medvedev said, "First of all I want to say sorry for you fans and Novak. We all know what he was going for today," Medvedev said during the trophy ceremony. "I've never said this to anybody, but I will say it right now. For me, you are the greatest tennis player in history."
