Novak Djokovic can put the finishing touches on arguably the greatest individual season in the history of professional tennis this weekend, needing a win over second-ranked Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s U.S. Open final to complete the elusive “Calendar Grand Slam,” a feat that hasn’t been achieved in over 50 years. If the Serbian pulls it off (he boasts a 44-5 singles record this year with over $6 million in prize money), he’ll have captured his 21st major, breaking a three-way tie with rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most all-time.
But remarkably, it was a point Djokovic lost that captivated the Twitter masses Friday night, with Alexander Zverev engaging the World No. 1 in a thrilling 53-shot rally in their semifinals match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. The incredible back-and-forth lasted nearly a minute and a half.
Djokovic would go on to win in five sets, avenging his earlier loss to Zverev at the Tokyo Olympics. The 34-year-old, who previously captured U.S. Open titles in 2011, ’15 and ’18, is looking to become the first player in men’s tennis to win the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open in the same year since Rod Laver (who attended Friday’s semifinal in New York) did it in 1969. The women’s final will be contested Saturday with England’s Emma Raducanu and Canadian Leyla Fernandez both vying for their first Grand Slam.
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