Novak Djokovic once again showed sportsmanship on the tennis court, offering Daniil Medvedev help during the 2023 US Open final.
Two of the best players on the ATP Tour, Djokovic and Medvedev, faced off in yet another US Open final after playing already once back in 2021, in what was the Russian's first-ever Grand Slam triumph.
The two eyed the grand prize at the Flushing Meadows, but not at the cost of sportsmanship. Djokovic won the opening two sets, 6-3, 7-6(5), and his opponent struggled to find answers, like he did in 2021 when he denied the Serbian a Calendar Slam.
The scoreboard showed 1-1 in the second set, and Medvedev was likely thinking about a comeback, but his opponent had other ideas. After both players held their serve in the opening games of the third set, the Serbian served in the third one.
During the rally, Medvedev attempted to chase one of the balls, but probably also because of the exhaustion that mounted over an exhausting fortnight of tennis, he fell to the ground as the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium held their breath.
The Russian stayed on the ground for a few seconds, immediately signalizing with his thumb that he was fine. Regardless of this gesture, Djokovic waited at the net, as his opponent seemingly didn't have plans to stand up.
The Serbian, therefore, made the decision to cross the net and check on his opponent, offering a hand to help him up. However, the former world no. 1 showed to his opponent that he wanted to stand up on his own.
It was Djokovic's idea that counted, and after a brief pause, the match continued without any medical intervention needed, as the 2021 US Open champion seemingly needed to catch his breath before attempting to mount a comeback.
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