Russia's Daniil Medvedev became the 2021 US Open men's champion on Sunday after having defeated top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic in three straight sets.
Over the span of nearly two hours, the Russian player, who is currently ranked number two in the sport, outplayed the Serbian athlete and claimed the highly-coveted win with scores of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
The win marks the very first US Open win for the 25-year-old since 2017, when he took the trophy in the grand slam for the men's doubles tournament.
As for Djokovic, the loss did away with a years' worth of effort in attempting to successfully sweep all four major tennis tournaments. The Serbian player, known for his comebacks, would have been the first man since 1969 to have taken the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US grand slams.
A win for Djokovic would have also marked his 21st major title. Had the Serbian managed to scoop the win, he would have also surpassed rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Both Federer and Nadal have 20 titles each.
Acknowledging Djokovic's loss, Medvedev offered an apology to the Serbian's fans. "We all know what he was going for... and i just want to say.... for me you are the greatest tennis player in history," he said.
Medvedev had previously lost to Djokovic at the 2021 Australian Open.