Novak Djokovic took home the same amount of prize money as the US Open 2023 women’s singles champion Coco Gauff.
Novak Djokovic avenged his defeat against Daniil Medvedev, defeating the Russian in the US Open 2023 final, at the Flushing Meadows in New York on Monday. The Serbian lost to Medvedev in the US Open 2023 final, missing out on a rare calender-year Slam. But this time, the 36-year-old had other plans and surged to a 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 victory, in what seemed like an easy victory, but was actually a test of physical fitness.
There were moments in the match when Medvedev really tested Djokovic’s age, with long rallies and in the second set, the Russian almost made a comeback. But Djokovic managed to stretch it to the tie-breaker and came out on top. This was Djokovic’s fourth US Open title and he also matched Margaret Court’s record tally of 24 Grand Slam titles.
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US Open 2023 also marked the 50th anniversary of the Grand Slam event giving equal prize money to men and women’s singles champions. So Djokovic and Coco Gauff took home 3 million dollars each for their title triumphs. Meanwhile, Medvedev and women’s runners-up Aryna Sabalenka earned 1.5 million dollars each.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic said, “I never imagined that I would be here standing with you talking about 24 Slams. I never thought that would be the reality. But the last couple of years, I felt I have a chance, I have a shot for history, and why not grab it if it’s presented?”.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old sensation Gauff staged a comeback against Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title. The American lost 2-6 in the first set, but fought back in inspirational manner, sealing a 6-3 6-2 win in her next two sets. Speaking after winning the women’s title, Gauff said, “Right now I’m just feeling happiness and a very, very small bit of relief. Because honestly, at this point, I was doing it for myself and not for other people.”
“I watched Iga lift up that trophy, and I watched her the whole time. I said, I’m not going to take my eyes off her, because I want to feel what that felt like for her,” she further added.