And then there were two. Novak Djokovic will meet Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s US Open final, with history on the line. Djokovic, at 36, is bidding for his record 24th major and his fourth US Open title. Medvedev, 27, aims for his second Grand Slam title, and second in New York.
Backdropping these noteworthy personal milestones is the fact that Medvdev and Djokovic have developed an epic rivalry over the last four years. The pair have met fourteen times in total, including three times at the majors, and twice in 2023.
Before you watch Sunday’s final in New York, get primed on the best Djokovic vs Medvedev moments with USOpen.org.
WHERE AND WHEN: 2019 Cincinnati semifinal
WHAT HAPPENED: By their fifth meeting, Medvedev had already made some inroads in the rivalry against Djokovic. He even took the first set he ever played against the Serbian legend in a Davis Cup match in 2017, but soon ran out of gas and retired due to injury after dropping the next two sets. Two years later, at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Medvedev took another set off of Djokovic and seemed to bother the Grand Slam juggernaut in a way that many other top players couldn’t.
By 2019, touting a 1-3 lifetime record against Djokovic (having stunned the world No.1 on the clay in Monte Carlo earlier that season) Medvedev was truly blossoming on the hard courts, and gaining reputation as an immovable wall with a penchant for big play on the biggest stages.
When he rallied from 2-3, 30-40 down in the final set in their Cincinnati semifinal and stormed to the finish line without losing another game, the tennis world took notice.
Front and center was Medvedev’s courage under pressure, even firing second serves that were faster than his first offerings. Medvedev went on to claim the title in the next round, defeating David Goffin for his first Masters 1000 title.
WHAT THEY SAID: “You can't really predict someone or prepare yourself for someone serving that big second serve consistently from 4-3 to the end of the match, with making maybe two double faults out of God knows how many serves. Well done. I mean, he definitely has a lot of confidence. When you have so much confidence, then obviously you allow yourself to go for these kinds of shots. I congratulate him. He deserved to win the match.” - Djokovic
“To be honest, I don't know how I did it. I was so tired in the first set and playing Novak I thought I wasn't able to keep the intensity. At one moment, I said to myself: why do a normal second serve if I'm going to lose the point? I started to win much more after that." - Medvedev
WHERE AND WHEN: 2020 ATP Cup semifinal
WHAT HAPPENED: Djokovic exacted a bit of revenge for the Cincinnati loss when he took down Medvedev in an epic three-set battle at the inaugural ATP in January 2020. Djokovic, always passionate about playing for Serbia, survived a physically taxing two hour and 48-minute clash to win 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Exciting, exhausting, joyful, dreadful all at once. I think we both refused to miss from the baseline, so it was a lot of rallies and it was very exhausting. Very physical battle, but also a mental battle.” - Djokovic
“Of course not happy about the loss, and also for the team, because that was our last chance to stay in the tie. Tough match physically, like always, with Novak. I think we were both close to winning it. If he won, it means he was better today.” - Medvedev
WHERE AND WHEN: 2021 Australian Open final
WHAT HAPPENED: If more revenge for the Cincinnati and Monte Carlo losses in 2019 was needed, Djokovic got another healthy dose when he dented Medvedev’s Grand Slam title hopes in the pair’s first ever Grand Slam final. It was Djokovic who used his experience to continue his breathtaking domination in Melbourne, where the then-34-year-old won his 18th major title, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. It was also the ninth Australian Open title for Djokovic (he now has 10 – and counting).
WHAT THEY SAID: “To win nine Australian Opens, I need to win every year until I’m 34. I mean, I believe in myself, but I don’t think I’m able to do it. Same with Rafa. I mean, 13 Roland Garros ... we’re talking about some cyborgs of tennis in a good way. They’re just unbelievable.” - Medvedev
"I don't feel like I'm old or tired or anything like that. But I know that biologically and realistically, things are different than they were 10 years ago for me. I have to be smarter with my schedule and peak at the right time. So the slams are the tournaments where I want to be able to perform my best.” - Djokovic
WHERE AND WHEN: 2021 US Open final
WHAT HAPPENED: The second Grand Slam final between Djokovic and Medvedev might be considered “Daniil’s Revenge.” The pair had traded epic victories during 2019, 2020 and 2021, with Djokovic winning three and Medvedev three until they met for the title in New York with history on the line.
The match didn’t live up to the historical implications as Medvedev scored an uncomplicated 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Djokovic, who simply wasn’t himself in the final. After winning 27 consecutive Grand Slam matches in 2021, he ran out of gas with one more victory between himself and the coveted calendar year Grand Slam. Medvedev rained on Djokovic’s parade but the respect, camaraderie and respect between the pair shone as brightly as ever.
Though he was unable to make history on that day, Djokovic was warmly received by the New York faithful, as they sent him off with a gift he didn’t expect.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I do feel sorry for Novak because I cannot imagine what he feels. I don't know this feeling. It definitely makes it sweeter. I mean, a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. For the confidence and for my future career, knowing that I beat somebody who was 27-0 in a year in Grand Slams – I lost to him in Australia, he was going for huge history, and knowing that I managed to stop him – it definitely makes it sweeter and brings me confidence for what is to come.” - Medvedev
“Of course, part of me is very sad. It's a tough one to swallow, this loss, considering everything that was on the line. But on the other hand I felt something I never felt in my life here in New York. The crowd made me very special. They pleasantly surprised me. I did not know, I did not expect anything, but the amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I'll remember forever. That's the reason that on the changeover I just teared up.
“The emotion, the energy was so strong. I mean, it's as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That's how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special.” - Djokovic
WHERE AND WHEN: 2022 ATP Finals round robin
WHAT HAPPENED: Djokovic and Medvedev tangled at the ATP’s year-end championships in Turin last year, conducting a lung-busting battle that eventually went to Djokovic, 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(2), in three hours and 11 minutes.
Djokovic would go on to win his sixth ATP Finals title later in the week, and tie Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the event.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Novak is in a league of his own with Rafa and Roger. Then it's the rest. Maybe one moment somebody's going to try to catch their number of slams or whatever, then we're going to talk about it differently. I definitely don't put myself in there. We had some tough battles. He's leading in head-to-head, even if I won some important matches. I am definitely not close to Novak. Maybe when we play, yes, but in general you cannot compare myself to him or any one of the big three.” - Medvedev
“This match against one of the greatest rivals I have today is very important, regardless of the fact that I had qualified [for the semifinals] already. I really wanted to win. Daniil and I have had some battles in the past and I knew coming into the match today that it was going to be his last match of the season and he wouldn't want to finish with a loss.” - Djokovic
