New York (Reuters) – Daniel Medvedev has accepted that he will part ways with Flushing Meadows with regret after losing to the Russian third seed 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the US Open final on Sunday. Novak Djokovic secured his 24th Grand Slam title.
After a one-sided defeat in the first set where everything seemed to go Djokovic’s way, Medvedev had a brilliant opportunity to level the match in the second set but lost it at 6-5 with a missed break point.
He told reporters, “It’s definitely disappointing.”
“The second set was probably the best set I played and I couldn’t win it.”
“So, I would say, it’s normal that the match went like this because in the first and third sets, he was a bit better, and there’s not much else to say. Second, if I had won, it could have been a different match.”
Medvedev faced ups and downs in the final major of the year, leaving Washington due to injury and bowing out in the third round in Cincinnati, and there was no sign that he could replicate his successful 2021 campaign in American hardcourt slams.
But he found his rhythm in New York, overcoming a drawn-out struggle through a draw before sending top seed Carlos Alcaraz packing in the semi finals via a draw.
The Russian player told reporters on Sunday that he did not feel in peak condition since his four-set defeat to Alex de Minaur in the fourth round.
Medvedev, who won two Masters 1000 titles in 2023, said, “Sometimes in Grand Slam, you don’t feel 100% physically, and you can still get the win.”
“For sure, physically, I would like to perform better in this match, but when you face Carlos in the semi finals, you know it’s going to be tough physically.”
“So there are no other options, and you still want to win, and I just have to be better physically, mentally, and in terms of tennis.”