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'She gave me a smile': Djokovic describes how his daughter inspired his 24th Grand Slam win

After winning the final point at this year's US Open, the 36-year-old reached for his daughter in the crowd and hugged her

Published: Mon 11 Sep 2023, 1:14 PM

Updated: Mon 11 Sep 2023, 1:31 PM

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In his post-match press conference, Djokovic shed some light on his celebrations with his daughter.

In his post-match press conference, Djokovic shed some light on his celebrations with his daughter.

Novak Djokovic bagged his career's fourth US Open title, defeating world number 3 Daniil Medvedev, in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 on Monday. The Serbianator scripted history, winning the 24th grand slam of his tennis career at the Flushing Meadows in New York. The world number 2, who has now equalled Margaret Court's record tally of 24 Grand Slams, rushed to his daughter, Tara, to celebrate his victory after the final point. The video of the incident has gained attraction on social media.

In his post-match press conference, Djokovic shed some light on his celebrations with his daughter. “After the last point, I felt relief... Out of respect, I wanted to go quickly to the net to shake hands and exchange words. The next thing I wanted was to hug my daughter. She was sitting in the front row. I didn’t know she’d be sitting there…”


"When I got to the court I saw her. She was facing me when I was sitting on the bench. She smiled at me every single time I needed that innocent child energy. I got it from her. When I was going through very stressful moments, particularly in the 2nd set, when I needed a push of strength, of lightness, she gave me a smile. She gave me a fist pump. She was into it," Djokovic, who will now rise to the top spot in World Tennis rankings, said.

A visibly emotional Djokovic was seen reaching for her daughter in the crowd after his win. The 36-year-old then hugged Tara and kissed her forehead before returning to the court.

"Novak Djokovic hugs his daughter after winning his 24th Grand Slam at the US Open. It’s an emotional night for a true legend," read the post showing the video.

Fans also took note of the father-daughter moment and reacted warmly to the video. "What a dad! Special to see the sensitive side of these athletes," read a reaction to the clip.

"This the biggest prize a dad can ever dream of," said another fan on X.

"Hey everyone. He's my dad!!" wrote another person on the micro-blogging site.

In another clip shared on the official account of the US Open, there were jubilant scenes in the Djokovic box. The Serbian ace, all ecstatic, was seen hugging his friends and family members.

This is Djokovic's third grand slam title this year after The Joker, as his fans fondly call him, established his supremacy in the Australian and French Open.

Djokovic was disallowed from entering the US last year due to his vaccination status, thus missing the 2022 edition of the New York Major.

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