Novak Djokovic breaks down in tears during US Open final against Daniil Medvedev

Picture Credit: Twitter

Daniil Medvedev scripted history when he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the US Open Men's Singles finals. The second-seeded Russian fought till the very end to secure a win in straight sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) over the world number 1 and spoiled latter's plan to grab a record-breaking 21st major. Had Djokovic won the finale on Sunday, he would have become the second men’s player to win calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver, who did it way back in 1969. But unfortunately, it didn't pan out as the Serbian would have liked.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner said in the post-match conference that he was relieved that it ended. “I was just glad that, finally, the run is over. At the same time, I felt sadness, disappointment — and also gratitude for the crowd and for that special moment that they’ve created for me on the court,” he said. It was indeed a disappointment for the Serbian tennis star to miss the record by a bare margin and it was evident from his face.

However, what shocked everyone was a crying Djokovic that too mid-game. During a changeover, he was seen hiding his tearful eyes behind the towel but the cameras caught it. It was quite evident that he was distraught. However, he denied calling them tears of disappointment. “The crowd was something I will remember forever. That’s the reason I just teared up. The emotional energy was so strong. It touched my heart,” he explained.

Watch the emotional moment here:

Medvedev brings up ‘dead fish’ celebration

While it was all tears and disappointment for Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev was living the best moments of his life. He had just beaten someone whom he considers the greatest tennis player and he was just overjoyed. He was overwhelmed at his victory and made it even more special with a unique celebration. The world number 2, who is a great fan of FIFA, performed the ‘dead fish’ celebration right after he defeated Djokovic. He fell on the court and played dead for a second with his eyes closed and tongue out.

When he was asked about the strange celebration, he said it was only to be understood by legends. "Only legends will understand, but my celebration was L2 + Left," he explained. Medvedev further explained that he did not want to do a “boring” celebration and hence came up with this idea after discussing it with the "guys in the locker room". “They were like, 'That's legendary'. Everybody who I saw who plays FIFA thinks that's legendary," he said.

Have a look at his unique celebration here:

Notably, 25-year-old Medvedev is the third man from Russia to bag a major title. Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the first from the nation to achieve the distinction, courtesy his 1996 French Open. Three years later he bagged another at 1999 Australian Open. Following Kafelnikov, Marat Safin won the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.