Daniil Medvedev has reached his fifth Grand Slam final and surpassed Marat Safin as the Russian with the most major finals in the Open Era.
Former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev caused a sensation by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the US Open with a score of 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. The Russian tennis player reached his third final at the US Open (2019, 2021, and 2023), in addition to two finals at the Australian Open (2021, 2022).
Medvedev only claimed the trophy at the US Open in 2021, where he faced the nearly unbeatable Novak Djokovic, who had a remarkable record of 27-0 in Grand Slams that year and was aiming to achieve the historic feat of winning all four Grand Slams in a calendar year, a feat previously accomplished only by Steffi Graf in the women's game.
Medvedev's journey to the final sets a new precedent as he becomes the Russian tennis player with the most Grand Slam finals. He was previously tied with Marat Safin, a former world No. 1 who reached three finals at the Australian Open (2002, 2004, 2005) and one at the US Open (2000).
Although Safin managed to secure two Grand Slam titles in his career, one more than Medvedev, it's worth noting that Marat clinched the US Open title and his third attempt at the Australian Open.
Medvedev not only has three finals appearances at Flushing Meadows but also boasts the highest number of victories in Grand Slam matches with 29 wins and only 5 losses, equating to an impressive 85% win rate.
In his previous four Grand Slam finals, he lost twice to Rafael Nadal and twice to Novak Djokovic. On Sunday, he will face 'Nole' in this stage for the third time and aim to secure his second major to equal his compatriot Safin.
5 - WIth victory Carlos Alcaraz for a third US Open final, Daniil Medvedev has reached a fifth Grand Slam final of his career, surpassing Marat Safin (four) for the most of any Russian male in the Open Era. Upsetter. #USOpen #USOpen2023 | @usopen @atptour @DaniilMedwed
