As an 18 year-old playing at the most prestigious annual tennis tournament in the US, Emma Raducanu entered the U.S Open as a relative unknown. As such, Raducanu had to win three qualifying matches before even playing in the main draw. Once she reached the main draw, she never looked back, and never lost a single set during the entire tournament.
Her opponent in the final was 19 year-old Leylah Fernandez, making them the fourth youngest in combined age in a Grand Slam final. Fernandez was no slouch either, defeating many-time Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber on her way to the final.
As the 6-4, 6-3 score indicates, this was no embarrassment, but Raducanu dictated the points, and created more opportunities to succeed. She also pulled through when it mattered the most, denying Fernandez a break point seven times.
On the men’s side, a different kind of history was at stake.
Since the 21st century, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and more recently, Novak Djokovic have dominated tennis in a fashion unparalleled in tennis history.
Their legacies include winning 18 consecutive majors from the 2005 French Open to Wimbledon in 2009, 11 from the 2010 Australian Open to Wimbledon in 2012, and 13 from the 2017 Australian Open to the 2020 Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic entered the U.S Open at the top of his game, on the cusp of perhaps the greatest achievement in tennis, a calendar Grand Slam. In 2021, Djokovic won the Australian Open, and dethroned a hobbled Rafeal Nadal in the French Open, handing Nadal his third loss ever at Roland Garros. While Nadal and Federer each saw premature endings to their seasons, Djokovic marched on with ferocity, dispatching all competitors at Wimbledon. Thus, the stage was set for a potential calendar Grand Slam at the U.S Open.
Djokovic’s Wimbledon win tied him with Nadal and Federer at the top of the men’s game at 20 majors apiece. This U.S Open could have been his greatest accomplishment, not only giving him sole possession of first place for career Grand Slams, but also completing the first calendar grand slam in more than 50 years.
Enter Danil Medvedev.
The lanky, 25 year old Russian caught the eye of the tennis world during his unlikely run to the U.S Open final in 2019, pushing Nadal to a brutal five set battle, coming up just short against the Spaniard. Since then, he had been searching for his first major, coming up short again in the 2021 Australian Open, where he lost to Djokovic.
As the final began, it was clear where the momentum had rested. Medvedev broke Djokovic on his first service game, and never let up. Medvedev’s serve was a key contributing factor to victory, as he had sixteen aces compared to Djokovic’s six. His aggressive forehands controlled the points, and applied relentless pressure on Djokovic.
Djokovic also made several uncharacteristic mistakes, converting on only one of six break point opportunities. He also made thirty eight unforced errors, far more than he would in his usual methodical style of playing.
Fatigue throughout the tournament is a key factor to consider. Djokovic required four or five sets to put his opponents away in five of his six pre-final matches, while playing from behind in each of his four matches leading up to the final. On the other hand, Medvedev dropped just one set the entire tournament.
Regardless of this, in a match with all-time historical stakes, Medvedev rose to the moment, whereas Djokovic didn’t have enough fuel left in the tank.
When asked about the difficulty of raising children as a professional athlete, Djokovic teared up in his post match press conference. He claims his retirement is approaching, the “up and comers” have arrived, and that this may have been his last and best opportunity at the Holy Grail of tennis.
Written by Ethan Lenkin of Wootton High School
Photo courtesy of Soft Surfaces Ltd via Creative Commons