Second seed Novak Djokovic will face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2023 US Open. The match will be played on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

Novak Djokovic is back in the US Open final. His 10th overall, which is an Open Era record, after a straight-sets dissection of American Next Gen star Ben Shelton. It took him two hours and 41 minutes, his second-longest match of the tournament after his five-set comeback in the third round against compatriot Laslo Djere. He looked in cruise control being two sets up and getting a break in the third set, before losing his bearings just momentarily. He saved a set point at 5-4 on his own serve and went on to prevail in the tiebreak, as he always does. Djokovic will get another shot to exorcise the demons from 2021 when Daniil Medvedev denied him glory right at the last hurdle. It won’t be a calendar Slam that Djokovic will be fighting for this time, but a slice of history by equalling Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam record of 24 titles.

Daniil Medvedev stunned top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to reach his third US Open final. Now, that is not a line in the 2023 US Open script that tennis enthusiasts had in mind. Medvedev saved his best tennis for last, coming up trumps when he needed to, serving excellently, and demonstrating his mental fortitude against a crisis of confidence. Twice he faced Alcaraz this year, he was obliterated. And tennis fans feared another sequel was in store in the late-night session inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. But Medvedev, who before the match candidly admitted, he needed a 12 out 10 performance to beat the flamboyant Spaniard, delivered on all levels. He had better numbers on serve (82% first serve points won), won more return points, and had fewer unforced errors than Alcaraz, and that reflected in the final score.

Novak Djokovic leads Daniil Medvedev 9-5 in the head-to-head, and 2-1 in the majors. Medvedev won the 2021 US Open final against the Serb, and their most recent meeting in the Dubai final. It’s a fascinating matchup, and in recent years, there hasn’t been a clear-cut favorite when these two titans go toe to toe. Djokovic has accumulated less mileage than the Russian, but it is Medvedev who has faced a more testing route to the final, beating three top-15 seeds on the bounce. Two years ago, Djokovic could not find his legs, seemingly fatigued and overwhelmed by the nerves and expectations. This time, however, he will be looser and fitter. At 36, he continues to defy age and he can play longer matches, hit the ball with guile, and move around the court better than his opponents. No. 24 is in sight, and we’re backing Djokovic to get over the line.