World No. 1 Novak Djokovic won his fourth US Open crown last Sunday, taking his Grand Slam tally to 24 titles - a record-extending men's record.
Djokovic's 24 majors also tied former WTA player Margaret Court's all-time record across both tours. But more impressively, Djokovic played in all four Grand Slam finals this season, winning three trophies. It is the fourth time that Djokovic has won at least three Slams in the same season.
Previously tied with Roger Federer (2004, 2006, 2007) on three occasions when either of them had won a hat-trick of Slams in the same year, Djokovic has the record on his own after beating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Sunday. Djokovic and Federer are the only players to achieve this monumental feat multiple times.
What is even more astounding is Djokovic's remarkable longevity between his first hat-trick of Slams in a single season, in that unforgettable 2011 season to his latest one this weekend which is 12 years apart. 2011 was the turning point of his career and a significant year in which Djokovic ended the duopoly of both Federer and Rafael Nadal.
In 2011, Djokovic won the Australian Open for a second time, a maiden Wimbledon, and the US Open which saw him save two match points in the semifinal win over Federer. He ended the season as the world's top-ranked player for the first time in his career. His only Grand Slam final defeat came in the French Open semifinal to the Swiss Maestro.
In 2015, Djokovic put together another tremendous year, statistically his best year on Tour and arguably of any player, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, emulating his feat from 2011. But this was the first time he played in all four Slams in the same season, this time Stan Wawrinka denying him glory in the French Open final.
Djokovic came close to winning the Calendar-Year Grand Slam in 2021, winning the first three Slams, but stumbled at the final hurdle when he lost to Medvedev in the US Open final. For a second time, he finished his Grand Slam season with a 27-1 record.
And two years on, he finally conquered Medvedev in New York, as he bagged his fourth US Open on Sunday. It was his third major win of the 2023 season, finishing the year with an astonishing 27-1 record in Slams for a third time, having won a 10th Australian Open in January and a third French Open in June.
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