World No. 1 Novak Djokovic swept through the final set to notch a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 triumph over Alexander Zverev at the 2021 US Open.
Novak Djokovic paused in the player hallway before his men's semifinal match on Day 12 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alexander Zverev said he’d have to play the perfect match to end Novak Djokovic’s quest for the Grand Slam.
A decade separated the two semifinalists: Alexander Zverev is 24 and Novak Djokovic is 34. "I know it's going to be battle," Djokovic ahead of the match.
The Serbian player has won 85 career titles.
German Alexander Zverev was the 2020 US Open runner-up.
The 6-foot-2 Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade and now lives in Monte Carlo—and has 85 career titles.
Born in Hamburg, the 6-foot-6 Alexander Zverev has 17 career titles.
The last time Novak Djokovic won the US Open was in 2018.
"Deserved to win a gold medal obviously with the way he was playing," Novak Djokovic said of Alexander Zverev's Tokyo Olympic win.
Novak Djokovic outlasted Alexander Zverev, winning in a five-set match that lasted 3 hours, 33 minutes.
"Most of the time you can't be perfect," Alexander Zverev said of playing against Novak Djokovic. "That's why most of the time people lose to him."
A peek inside the players' box of Novak Djokovic during the match.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” Djokovic told the crowd. “The best atmosphere of the tournament so far. These are the moments we live for."
Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev shared a moment at the net after Djokovic's win.
"There is only one match leftăźall in. I’m going to put my heart and my soul and my body and my head into that one. I’m going to treat the next match like it is the last match of my career," Novak Djokovic said of his 2021 US Open final match against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday.
"It pays off when you are playing in this beautiful stadium with this atmosphere," Novak Djokovic said after winning the match.
