Novak Djokovic (once again) made history on Sunday, beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3 7-6 6-3 in the US Open final to claim his 24th Grand Slam title. Having played catch-up with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal his entire career, the 36-year-old Serb now looks almost certain to end up as the player with the most Grand Slam wins - and that includes female players as well.
With Sunday’s win, Djokovic pulled ahead of Serena Williams’ Open Era record of 23 major titles and, unless he’s injured or decides to retire, he looks almost certain to add several more to his already historic trophy haul. One more Grand Slam title would put him ahead of Margaret Court, who also has 24 major titles to her name, albeit with the asterisk that many of those titles came before the Open Era, when only amateur players were allowed to compete in the four Grand Slams.
"To make the history of this sport is something truly remarkable and special," Djokovic said during Sunday's trophy ceremony. "I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 Slams. I never thought that would be the reality, but the last couple of years I felt I have a chance, I have a shot at history - and why not grab it if it's presented."
And while it still remains to be seen whether Djokovic, who isn’t as universally beloved as his two biggest rivals, will leave the same indelible mark on tennis fans as Federer and Nadal undoubtedly have/will, his sporting legacy speaks for itself. As it stands, you’d be hard-pressed to find a stat that doesn’t make Djokovic look like the greatest player of all time.
