14th Grand Slam title: Djokovic also wins the US Open

In mid-July, the Serb ended his more than two-year drought of season highlights at Wimbledon. Last night (CEST) he clearly held his own with 6:3, 7:6 (7:4), 6:3.

While Djokovic caught up with Pete Sampras (USA) with his 14th title at the four majors and shortened the gap to his eternal rivals Rafael Nadal (17) and Roger Federer (20), del Potro missed his second triumph in New York. Nine years ago he won the trophy at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Set back by numerous injuries, the 29-year-old only returned to a Grand Slam final this year.

After 3 hours and 16 minutes, the Djokovic-Del Potro duel was over. © APA/afp / KENA BETANCUR

Djokovic missed the 2017 US Open due to an elbow injury. This spring it didn't look as if he could build on his glory days. But after his victory at Wimbledon, he quickly became the favorite on the US hard courts. He achieved something unique: Djokovic won for the first time in Cincinnati/Ohio and with it the ninth Masters of the ATP Tour. Nadal (Spain) and Federer (Switzerland) have not yet achieved this feat.

The duo, which had regained supremacy in the tennis circuit over the past two years, experienced bitter moments in New York. Defending champion Nadal gave up against del Potro in the semi-finals due to knee pain, Federer fell victim to the brutal conditions in the round of 16 against Australian John Millman. Football atmosphere in New York Djokovic also staggered around the court again and again, marked by the heat and extreme humidity, but always overcame his phases of weakness in time. He benefited from the courts in Flushing Meadows, which were significantly slower than last time. The defensive artist was often able to easily defuse even del Potro's feared forehand in the final game.

It was only in the second set that del Potro began to believe in his chance. Djokovic allowed himself a moment of inattention and the Argentine fans woke up. "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole. Delpo, Delpo," they sang, creating an atmosphere that is otherwise only known in tennis from the Davis Cup. Del Potro misses the turn Del Potro had only won four of 18 previous encounters, but midway through the second set he had the turnaround on his racket. He had three break points when the score was 4:3, but Djokovic fended them all off in a 20-minute service game. The tension reached its peak, and Oscar winner Meryl Streep also joined in the excitement with a can of beer in her hand.

In the tiebreak Djokovic then set the course for victory. In 2011 he won the final against Nadal and in 2015 against Federer. He narrowly missed the title in the final five more times. In the ranking, Djokovic jumps back to third place behind Nadal and Federer.

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14th Grand Slam title: Djokovic also wins the US Open

Novak Djokovic won the US Open for the third time. In a largely one-sided final lasting 3:16 hours, he defeated the Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro in three sets and celebrated his second Grand Slam title within eight weeks.

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