The Grand Slam is there for the taking Sunday at Flushing Meadows.
Novak Djokovic moved into the U.S. Open final with another of his vintage, historic, five-set victories Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium over the 6-foot-6, red-hot German server Alexander Zverev — 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
After winning the sensational 3 ¹/₂-hour semifinal battle, Djokovic is three triumphant sets from all-time greatness.
One more win, and he will have swept all four majors this year to give him the first men’s Grand Slam in 52 years, since Rod Laver copped all four in 1969. With one more victory, Djokovic will also win his 21st major championship, breaking his tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Laver was on hand, sitting in the President’s Box to see if his 1969 milestone will be matched.
“There’s only one match left — all in, let’s do it,’’ Djokovic said on the court. “I’m going to treat the next match like it’s the last match of my career.’’
There was a long embrace between Djokovic and Zverev at the net.
“Best atmosphere of the tournament so far — these are the moments we live for,’’ the 34-year-old Djokovic said on the court after moving to 27-0 in the 2021 majors.
As is his wont here, Djokovic dropped the first set, but won the next two. But before he could celebrate, Zverev courageously forced a fifth set. Djokovic, the stamina king, had more left in the tank and ran up a 5-0 lead.
An historic 53-shot rally in the third set was won by Zverev, but may have taken a lot out of the 24-year-old German’s legs.
In the fifth set, it was only a matter of time after Djokovic broke Zverev in the second game to go up 2-0. Djokovic ended a spectacularly long point by drawing in Zverev with a drop shot.
Zverev got it back, but the Serbian angled a passing shot crosscourt winner to break Zverev as Djokovic gyrated to the crowd and his wife, Jelena, mouthed, “Oh, my God.’’
Both players had great crowd support — Zverev, who had Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler sitting in his box, probably had a slight edge. The roar at Ashe Stadium became deafening when Djokovic trailed 1-0 in sets, and when the German captured the fourth set.
But early in the match, after Djokovic held at love to start, his fans chanted his nickname “Nole.”
The one man standing in Djokovic’s path toward immortality is another 6-6 stud, Russian No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev, who as expected routed Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in the other semifinal. Medvedev will be fresher.
“Of course, if I can make this, I’m probably be in the history books somewhere like not letting him do this,’’ Medvedev said.
A key to Djokovic’s win came late in the third set. With a forehand winner, Zverev had won the 53-shot marathon rally to stave off a second set point at 15-40, but looked exhausted after. It was the longest point of the 2021 U.S. Open.
On the next rally, Djokovic, showing the stamina of the champion he is, moved Zverev around and crushed a winning volley as Ashe exploded in cheers. The Serbian waved his arms for the crowd to get even louder.
Djokovic has many weapons, but used one tool that is not his sharpest — his volley game. Mixing it up more than usual, Djokovic won the first 33 of 41 net points.
It was the fourth time in six matches Djokovic had lost the first set only to recover with panache. It was also the fifth match in which Djokovic dropped a set.
