Surprise at the US Open: Daniil Medvedev beats Novak Djokovic in three straight sets and takes the US Open
(CNN) -- World number 2 Daniil Medvedev won his first Grand Slam title on Sunday by beating world number 1 Novak Djokovic in three straight sets (6-4, 6-4, and 6-4) in the final of the US Open.
Djokovic was looking to win his 21st Grand Slam title and complete the first men's Grand Slam schedule - that is, winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same year - since Rod wash in 1969.
Medvedev, who defeated Canadian number 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets to reach the final, was participating in the third Grand Slam final of his career (he lost the previous two).
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The 25-year-old lost to Rafael Nadal in five sets in the 2019 US Open final and fell in the Australian Open final to Djokovic in straight sets earlier this year.
However, Medvedev looked fearsome throughout this year's competition, dropping just one set en route to the final, in which he was able to avenge his loss in Melbourne and dash Djokovic's hopes of a historic year.
advertisementFollowing his semifinal win against Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev said he had learned a lot from the final he lost to Djokovic in Melbourne.
"He was playing differently than the matches he did before me, and I wasn't ready for it, so now I am," Medvedev said of Djokovic's strategy.
A moment of growth
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For Medvedev, his experience at the 2019 US Open was a moment of ups and downs.
During a game, he was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct and visible obscenity. As a result, he became a de facto villain in the eyes of the New York public. However, thanks to his personality, his charisma and his excellent game, he won them over again in the following rounds.
Before this year's US Open, he expected it to be a "love" relationship between him and the fans. And since the 2019 experience, he has learned to just be himself.
"Of course, I get lessons," he explained to CNN Sport ahead of this year's tournament. "Do's and don'ts on the tennis court. But as a tennis player, I'm definitely different.
"It was a new experience that made me believe in myself even more and made me improve as a tennis player."
Leading the men's youth revolution
In a promising wave of young and rising stars in men's tennis, Medvedev could lead the way.
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Although he has fallen in the bottom rung of Grand Slam finals, victory at the 2020 ATP Tour Finals was a defining moment for the Russian.
He proved his stature on the road to the title, becoming the first player to defeat the world No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on his way to winning the ATP Finals.
But with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Alexander Zverev both making their mark on the tennis scene, is Medvedev, with a Grand Slam title to his credit, topping the pack?
Following his ATP Final victory, he revealed that he hadn't slept much.
"I didn't get much sleep. There was a lot going on. I responded to most of my messages, all of my WhatsApp messages and most of the other social media messages, which takes a while after a big win like this "Medvedeva said.
"I even got to play a little Formula 1 (video game) here at the hotel. It was a busy night. I celebrated with my coach after the game (and) did all the media stuff. I slept a few good two hours."
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