Djokovic, 36, surpassed Ken Rosewall, 35, who won the 1970 competition, to become the oldest men's champion at the US Open.
The second set of the US Open final, which lasted 1 hour, 44 minutes, was a test of tenacity as much as talent at that time. Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev got into a 32-stroke point during that time.
It was one of many such drawn-out confrontations between two players whose playing styles are practically identical, and Djokovic gave in by netting a backhand. His chest heaved as he dropped on his back and stayed there. The audience cheered. Djokovic stood up after a brief period of lying still. More cheers were heard from the audience as they praised the effort and enjoyed the show.
Using all of his strength and some serve-and-volley cunning, Djokovic defeated Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 at Flushing Meadows on Sunday night to win a historic 24th Grand Slam championship. The match was much closer than the straight-set score suggested.
"I never thought I'd be standing here with you, discussing 24 Slams. I never imagined it would be the case, Djokovic said. The 36-year-old Serbian is the oldest male victor of the Open since it began in 1968. But over the past several years, I've come to believe that I have a chance and a shot at making history, so why not seize the opportunity if it arises?
