Novak Djokovic downs Daniil Medvedev in masterclass to claim 24th Grand Slam title at US Open in New York

Novak Djokovic clinched his 24th Grand Slam title with a fourth US Open crown as he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final in New York.

An imperious performance from Djokovic saw him hold the edge from start to finish with his opponent unable to ever hold the ascendancy on another famous night for the Serb as he produced a 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 victory at Flushing Meadows.

The 36-year-old, who is now fittingly back to world No. 1, admitted he was too caught up in the occasion when he lost out to Medvedev on the same court two years ago, but on this occasion, he made sure that there would not be a repeat.

Incredibly, Djokovic has now managed to win three Grand Slams in a season on four occasions as he again came agonisingly short of a calendar Slam having been edged out by Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon earlier in the summer.

Djokovic got off to a flying start with an immediate break of serve as he cantered into a commanding 3-0 lead before Medvedev, who would later receive treatment on his shoulder, could get settled into the match.

The No. 3 seed belatedly got on the board in the fourth game, but by that point Djokovic had already seized the early initiative. So much so, he did not even have to face a break point as he closed it out 6-3 after less than an hour.

Djokovic came into the match boasting an outrageous 38-2 record this year after winning the opening set, so Medvedev immediately knew he was up against it as the second began in front of an expectant crowd.

The Russian certainly matched his opponent’s high level from the outset of the second set to ensure he did not swiftly slip further behind, even if he was repeatedly forced to deuce to battle through on serve.

The second set proved to be utterly brutal and enthralling – and ended up taking one hour and 44 minutes – as both players fended off break points under immense pressure on serve, and the seemingly inevitable tie-break followed to decide it.

Medvedev unleashed some ferocious groundstrokes to stamp his authority on the breaker initially as he led 3-1 and then 5-4, but he was eventually edged out at the business end when it really mattered as Djokovic executed flawless tennis to double his set advantage.

The crucial break of serve arrived before Medvedev had managed to assert himself in the third set after the drama of the second as the relentless Djokovic forced the early breakthrough to lead 3-1 with the fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium sensing the contest was fading.

The second set will be remembered as the decisive one, and thereafter it proved to be a comfortable triumph in three hours and 16 minutes for the swaggering Djokovic as he cruised through the remainder of the third set with Medvedev unable to shift the momentum of the match.

It amounted to a total masterclass from the 36-year-old, who sealed a fourth title at Flushing Meadows, a third Grand Slam on the season once again, and a historic 24th Grand Slam to round it all off as he moved further clear of Rafael Nadal and level with Margaret Court with his incredible tally.

“I am living a childhood dream,” Djokovic said as he basked in his achievement. “It’s hard to describe. I had a childhood dream to become the best player in the world. I never imagined I would be here talking about 24 Slams.

“To make history on this court is truly remarkable and special, in every way and every meaning of the word special. I had a dream when I was seven – I wanted to become the best player in the world and win Wimbledon, that was the only thing I wanted.”