US Open: Tearful Novak Djokovic Copes With Slam Heartbreak, Crowd Love

Novak Djokovic missed the first calendar-year Slam since 1969 at the final hurdle on Sunday, losing to Russia's second-ranked Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Tearful Novak Djokovic felt relief and sadness after his Grand Slam dream died with a US Open final defeat, overcome by loss but winning heartfelt support from New York fans. World number one Djokovic missed the first calendar-year Slam since 1969 at the final hurdle Sunday, losing to Russia's second-ranked Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Relief. I was glad it was over," Djokovic said about his feelings in the moments after the defeat. "The buildup for this tournament and everything that mentally, emotionally I had to deal with throughout the tournament in the last couple of weeks was just a lot. It was a lot to handle," Djokovic said. "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 created for me on the court." Djokovic also missed out on a fourth US Open title and 21st career Grand Slam, leaving him deadlocked on the men's record 20 Slam trophies with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.