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Novak Djokovic couldn't think about a 24th Grand Slam title without paying tribute to good friend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020; Bryant's widow, Vanessa, congratulated Djokovic with an Instagram post, saying that "Real recognize Real" with the hashtag MambaMentality
Novak Djokovic paid tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant following his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open as he vowed to continue playing.
The 36-year-old capped another dominant year, during which he won the Australian and French Opens and was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, by becoming the oldest champion at Flushing Meadows in the Open era.
Even Medvedev, whose challenge ended after he lost a marathon 104-minute second set, asked: "What are you still doing here? I mean come on."
But Djokovic insisted: "I'm going to keep going. You know, I feel good in my own body. I still feel I've got the support of my environment, of my team, of my family
"The Grand Slams, I have said in the last few years, have been always the highest goal and the priority of mine in the whole season. I don't play as much in terms of other tournaments, so I try to prioritise my preparation so that I can peak in slams.
"These are the moments and these are the kind of emotions that I motivate myself with every single day when I'm not playing a tournament.