Djokovic wins 14th Slam title
NEW YORK — The U.S. Open final suddenly appeared to be slipping away from Novak Djokovic. He dropped three consecutive games. He was angered by a crowd roaring for his popular opponent, Juan Martin del Potro. He was, in short, out of sorts.
And then came Sunday’s pivotal game, a 20-minute, 22-point epic. Three times, del Potro was a point from breaking and earning the right to serve to make it a set apiece. Three t i mes, Djokovic steeled himself. Eventually, he seized the game — and del Potro’s best chance to make a match of it.
A year after missing the U.S. Open because of an injured right elbow that would require surgery, Djokovic showed that he is unquestionably back at his best and back at the top of tennis. His returns and defense-to-offense skills as i mpeccable as ever, Djokovic collected his 14th Grand Slam title and second in a row by getting through every crucial moment for a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over 2009 champion del Potro at Flushing Meadows.
This was Djokovic’s third championship in New York, along with those in 2011 and 2015. Add in the trophies he has earned at six Australian Opens, one French Open and four Wimbledons, most recently in July, and the 31-year-old Serb pulled even with Pete Sampras for the third-most majors among men, trailing only Roger Federer’s 20 and Rafael Nadal’s 17.
“I was hoping he was going to be here, but he’s not,” Djokovic said about Sampras. “He’s my idol. Pete, I love you.”
On Sunday, Djokovic was better than del Potro on their many lengthy exchanges, using his trademark body-twisting, limbsplaying court coverage to get to nearly every ball, sneakers squeaking around the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the roof was closed because of rain.
When it ended, thanks to a three-game closing run by Djokovic, he flung his racket away and landed on his back, arms and legs spread wide. Serena Williams was fined a total of $17,000 for three code violations during her loss Saturday to Naomi Osaka in the U.S. Open final.
A day after the match, the tournament referee’s office docked Williams $10,000 for “verbal abuse” of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being warned for coaching, and $3,000 for breaking her racket.