All four Grand Slam trophies were there. When Novak Djokovic played Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final — the same two men who will meet Sunday in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the US Open 2023 title — there was more than just the championship of that particular two-week tournament at stake, and the US Tennis Association wanted to be prepared.
Djokovic was attempting to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by winning all four majors in a single season. So the USTA spent a little more than $50,000 to make sure insured versions of the trophies from the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon were on-site for a postmatch ceremony if Djokovic beat Medvedev that day (he did not; Medvedev’s lone Slam triumph so far came via a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory).
“We knew it couldn’t be as simple as just a presentation of the U.S. Open trophy. It had to be bigger than that,” tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday. “So then the obvious question was: How do we get the other three trophies to New York?”
Had Djokovic defeated Medvedev, the program for the ceremony after the final would have included an announcement to the crowd and TV audience: “For the first time in history, the four men’s singles Grand Slam trophies are together in one place.” The four would have been displayed on the court, each on its own pedestal that showed the relevant tournament logo.
If Djokovic had taken two sets at any point, meaning he was one set from winning, the trophies would have been moved to outside a doorway leading out to the court. “We never needed to move the trophies,” Widmaier said.
The next day, the three trophies began their journeys out of New York. Now, two years later, Djokovic and Medvedev will again decide the US Open 2023 men’s champion. This time, Djokovic was quite close to again bidding for a true Grand Slam: He is 26-1 in major matches in 2023, after winning the the Australian Open and French Open, but losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Medvedev, who eliminated Alcaraz in the US Open 2023 semifinals Friday night, is in his third final at Flushing Meadows in five years and fifth major final overall. Djokovic is seeking what would be a 24th Grand Slam title, more than anyone in the sport’s Open era, and fourth in New York.
FINALS ________ #USOpen pic.twitter.com/9jRZafzHMo
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 8, 2023
Here are all the details about Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York HERE…
The Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final match will take place on Sunday, September 10.
The Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final match will be held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final match will start at 130am IST (Sunday night).
The Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final match will be available LIVE on Sony Sports Network on TV in India.
The Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev US Open 2023 Final match will be available for livestreaming on SonyLiv website and app.
(with PTI inputs)
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