Updated September 10, 2023, 7:46 pm ET
topline
The world’s highest-paid tennis star Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam victory at the U.S. Open on Sunday night, beating the team that kept him out of the U.S. Open last time out ‘s young opponent and broke a historic tie with Serena Williams one day after “Coco.” At 19, Gauff won her first Grand Slam tennis title and became the first American teenager to win the Open since Williams won in 1999.
main facts
Djokovic defeated rising star Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 on Sunday night to become the most decorated player in the Open era with 24 Grand Slam titles. , surpassing Williams’ 23 championships.
Djokovic equaled Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 singles victories, many of which occurred before the professional tennis era began in 1968.
The win returns Djokovic to U.S. Open glory, having lost his No. 1 ranking after missing several tournaments after refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine and in his most recent U.S. Open appearance. Lost in the final. 2021 – To Medvedev.
Djokovic, hailed as one of the best, if not the best, men’s tennis players of all time, said he has no plans to retire from tennis but is grateful for every success he has achieved as his career progresses Victory: “At 36, every Grand Slam final could be the last one,” he said this week.
Djokovic will become the world’s No. 1 tennis player on Monday, which would happen even if he loses to Medvedev in the US Open final – tennis rankings are based on a player’s performance in tennis matches Determined by adding up the points obtained. Last year’s Grand Slams, Professional Tennis Association Tour events and other events.
tangent
Meanwhile, Cory “Coco” Gauff defeated 25-year-old Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday. Despite the loss, Sabalenka will officially become the world’s No. 1 female tennis player on Monday. The U.S. Open marks Gauff’s first Grand Slam title, having come close last year at the 2022 French Open but has yet to win a Grand Slam title in her still young career. Gauff first made headlines at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old when she became the first to win the U.S. Open since 17-year-old Serena Williams in 1999 American teen, who said on Saturday she was “ready” to earn the fame, money and sponsorships coming her way (she already has endorsements from New Balance, Rolex and Barilla).
big numbers
50. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open offering equal prize money to male and female champions. Gauff and Djokovic each earned $3 million for their singles wins this weekend. Medvedev and Sabalenka each earned $1.5 million.
key quotes
“Thanks Billie,” Goff said Saturday, with Billie Jean King standing a few feet away. “Fight for this.”
Forbes Valuation
Novak Djokovic ranked No. 1 Forbes List of the highest paid tennis players this year. He earned an estimated $38.4 million in pre-tax and agent fees over the past 12 months, including $25 million from endorsement deals, appearance fees, licensing and memorabilia revenue. His estimated career pre-tax earnings exceed $510 million. His US Open rival Medvedev ranked fourth among the highest-paid tennis players last year with earnings of $20.1 million – a list that does not include Williams and Federer because they have retired.Coco Gauff made her a success Forbes Tennis earnings debut this year at No. 7 — we estimate she earned $15.2 million last year, $12 million of which came from off-court partnerships.
main background
In 2008, Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open – the then 20-year-old broke Federer and Rafael’s 11-match Grand Slam winning streak to seal the victory. . Since then, the three have been known as the “Big Three” and Djokovic has won 23 more Grand Slam singles titles. Djokovic lost his record of 386 consecutive weeks as the world’s No. 1 tennis player in March when Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz won the Italian Open. Djokovic has lost major scoring chances at the 2022 U.S. Open and Australian Open, among other events, while he is not allowed to stay in either country after refusing to be vaccinated. For Covid 19. When the United States lifted vaccination requirements for international travel in May, it was announced that he would be able to compete in this year’s Open. Medvedev was ranked No. 3 in the world heading into Sunday’s final. He has enjoyed 16 weeks at No. 1 in his career, including February 2022, when he became the first person outside the Big Three to hold the top spot. He has won six Masters finals and reached major finals a total of four times. The U.S. Open weekend was Medvedev’s first Grand Slam final since Russia invaded Ukraine.
surprising facts
Djokovic is one of only three men’s tennis players to win all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, doing so in 2015 and 2016.
further reading
Highest Paid Tennis Players in the World 2023 (Forbes)
As Novak Djokovic fights for his 24th Grand Slam title, he’s also fighting for the future of tennis (Forbes)
Why Novak Djokovic and other top tennis stars call Monaco home (Forbes)
Coco Gauff earned $3 million for winning the U.S. Open. Real wealth will come soon. (Forbes)
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