Catch the LIVE score and updates from the US Open men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro Auto refresh feeds Djokovic holds to win the first set 6-3. The Serb started slowly with Del Potro dominating with his booming forehands. But he adapted and looked to keep the rallies to Del Potro's backhand and is rewarded for his approach. Three breaks on the trot to start the tie-breaker. Del Potro nets his forehand but Djokovic loses his serve with a backhand to the net and then Del Potro hits a forehand winner to take a 2-1 lead. A blistering forehand winner is followed by a forehand to the net from Del Potro which is really frustrating from the Argentine. His forehand fails him a couple of more times and Djokovic breaks him twice to take the second set 7-6 (4) on tie-break. He has done it! Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin Del Potro to win his third US Open title and ties Pete Sampras in third place for most Grand Slams won with 14 to his name. Brilliant comeback by Djokovic in 2018. Struggled at the Australian and French Opens but roared back to claim the Wimbledon crown and adds the US Open title to cap off a stunning year. He has done it! Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin Del Potro to win his third US Open title and ties Pete Sampras in third place for most Grand Slams won with 14 to his name. Brilliant comeback by Djokovic in 2018. Struggled at the Australian and French Opens but roared back to claim the Wimbledon crown and adds the US Open title to cap off a stunning year. 🏆🏆🏆 @djokernole defeats Del Potro 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to win his 3rd title in Flushing Meadows! He now ties Pete Sampras for third place all-time on the Grand Slam singles titles list with 14. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/xwzzmr22E0 The moment when Novak Djokovic won his third US Open title Juan Martin Del Potro is in tears. The Argentine slumps on his seat and wraps a towel around his head and weeps. Djokovic, back after celebrating with his team, spends some time with Del Potro. On coming back after his wrist injuries: I never gave up during my wrist problems. I was trying to get through my injuries to return and it took nine years, but I'm here. The US Open is my favourite tournament. On what he would say to his fans: It's not easy to speak right now, but I love you too guys. I'm so happy to be playing in the final against this magnificent idol. He's one of my friends and I want to watch him win titles. I'm sad to lose but I'm happy for him and his team. On the fans: It felt like a football match with Argentine fans on one side and Serbian fans on one side. The fans were excellent and were supportive of both players and never went over the line. On Del Potro: I also want to say congratulations to Juan Martin for what he has done over the past four-five years coming back from his wrist injuries and to have faith and belief in himself. I know that he will return here and become champion again. On 14th Grand Slam title and tying with Pete Sampras on all-time list: I was hoping he was going to be here tonight but he's not so I just want to say, I love you Pete and I hope to see you soon. I want to attribute this win to the support of my loved ones. To my kids, wife and my small team who have been there with me. When I had my surgery on my elbow, I realised what Juan Martin was going through and I tried hard to get back into this position. In case you were wondering just exactly how many Grand Slam trophies @DjokerNole has, here's a breakdown of his 14 championships! #AusOpen : 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 #FrenchOpen : 🏆 #Wimbledon : 🏆🏆🏆🏆 #USOpen : 🏆🏆🏆 LIVE: https://t.co/QWqvTxeI83 pic.twitter.com/5aD5E2Czkk Here are the winners of the women's singles in all four Grand Slams of 2018! Congratulations to @CaroWozniacki (Australian Open), @Simona_Halep (French Open), @AngeliqueKerber (Wimbledon) and @Naomi_Osaka_ (US Open)! 🏆🏆🏆🏆 LIVE: https://t.co/QWqvTxeI83 pic.twitter.com/JTq5vtvBcG Here are the winners of the men's singles in all four Grand Slams of 2018! Congratulations to @rogerfederer (Australian Open), @RafaelNadal (French Open) and @DjokerNole (Wimbledon, US Open)! 🏆🏆🏆🏆 LIVE: https://t.co/QWqvTxeI83 pic.twitter.com/NkiFMgtBnW Thank you for following Firstpost as we brought you all the latest updates from the 2018 US Open. Special thanks to Deepti Patwardhan and Anuradha Santhanam for their analysis of the matches over the two weeks. On behalf of my colleagues Shantanu Shrivastava and Aadi Nair, this is Dilip Unnikrishnan thanking you for following Firstpost. That's it from us here! Preview: Novak Djokovic can equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles when he faces Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday's US Open final where friendship will be put to one side in pursuit of unfinished business. Djokovic is into his eighth final in New York where he was champion in 2011 and 2015. But the 31-year-old Serb has also suffered five heartbreaking defeats in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Del Potro won his only Slam at the tournament in 2009, memorably defeating Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back-to-back to achieve the goal. His career then famously suffered an injury-plagued nosedive which pushed him to the brink of retirement three years ago. For Djokovic, another appearance in the final at Flushing Meadows looked unlikely just three months ago. A quarter-final defeat at Roland Garros, where he had completed the career Grand Slam in 2016, left him in deep despair, threatening even to skip Wimbledon. It was the latest setback to his motivation already dealt bodyblows by an elbow injury which forced him to skip last year's US Open and contributed to a last-16 exit at January's Australian Open. But the man hardened by the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 showed his inner steel by confounding everybody by racing to a fourth Wimbledon title in July. Just as at the All England Club, principle rivals Federer and Nadal departed New York earlier than expected, paving the way for Djokovic to eat further into their legacy. Almost perfect As well as going level with Sampras on Sunday, a win for Djokovic would put him just three majors behind Nadal and six back from Federer who is six years older. After needing two four-setters in the opening two rounds, Djokovic has glided into the final, his 23rd at the Slams. He has dropped serve just five times – three of those coming in the first two rounds. He also enjoys an impressive head-to-head record over the 29-year-old Del Potro, winning 14 of their 18 matches. That includes all four meetings at the Slams. "He's a gentle giant," said Djokovic of his giant Argentine opponent. "He nurtures the right values in life. He cares about his family. He cares about his friends. He respects everyone. "He fights every match from the first to the last point. He treats others the way he wants others to treat him. I think that's why people love him." Del Potro will be playing in just his second final at the majors. When he swept to the 2009 title in New York, he was just 20 years old and expected to establish himself as a permanent rival to Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. But as those three carved up the Slams between them – 50 in total – Del Potro spent more time on the operating table than on the courts. Three wrist surgeries caused him to miss 10 Grand Slam events and by the end of 2015, his world ranking had plummeted to 581. "The worst moment was in 2015 when I was close to quitting because I couldn't find a way to fix my wrist problems," he said. "I was suffering a lot. I got depressed for a couple of months also."<doc-sep>Novak Djokovic won the U.S. Open on Sunday, his 14th Grand Slam championship. The win was the eighth straight for the Big 3 — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer — and shows that the race for the all-time record is officially back on. Djokovic still trails Nadal and Federer, but he has time on his side and is back to dominating men's tennis. The win also helped Djokovic stake his claim as the player of the decade, with his 13th Slam of the 2010s. Novak Djokovic won the U.S. Open on Sunday, the 14th Grand Slam title of his career. The win was just the latest Slam for the "Big 3" of men's tennis — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer — who have won the last eight Slams and 51 of 62 over the last 15 years. More importantly, the win for Djokovic shows that the race for the all-time record is officially back on, and the race for player of the decade is now firmly in Djoker's grasp. Djoker's win at the U.S. Open tied Pete Sampras with 14 career Slam titles. While Djokovic still trails Federer and Nadal, he may have the advantage in the long run as he has age on his side and his game back on top. Grand Slam men's singles titles by age for the Big 3. Shayanne Gal/Business Insider The U.S. Open win was also the 13th of the decade for Djokovic. That is two more than Nadal (11) and eight more than Federer (5) during the same span. Neither race is over, but at this point, Djokovic might have to be the betting favorite to come out on top in both.<doc-sep>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka became Japan’s first Grand Slam singles champion by thumping Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in a controversial U.S. Open final on Saturday in which the American suffering a mesmerizing meltdown after being given a code violation. It was drama-filled conclusion to a match rich with storylines that will go down as one of the most controversial Grand Slam finals of all time. There was much riding on the outcome for both players, with Osaka bidding to become the first man or woman from Japan to lift a Grand Slam singles title and Williams trying to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 major titles. In the end, it was Osaka making history but on a day of bizarre events her victory will only be a footnote to what is sure to go down as one of the most infamous matches ever played at Flushing Meadows. With Osaka in control of the contest after taking the first set, Ramos sent Williams into a rage when he handed the 23-times Grand Slam champion a code violation in the second game of the second set after he spotted the American’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou making hand signals from the player’s box. A string of incidents followed as Williams went on to incur a point penalty for smashing her racket after Osaka broke her to get back on serve at 3-2. Williams was then hit with a game penalty at 4-3 after she launched into a verbal attack against Ramos, accusing him of being “a liar” and “a thief for stealing a point from me”. The game penalty put Osaka 5-3 up and the 20-year-old Japanese kept her cool to close out the win. The chaotic finish filled with screaming, tears and jeers cast a cloud over what should have been Osaka’s shining moment. Standing on the podium waiting to be handed her trophy and a winner’s cheque for $3.8 million, Osaka heard only boos as an angry crowd took out their frustration on Portuguese chair umpire Carlos Ramos, who stood to the side. “I know everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this,” Osaka said. “It was always my dream to play Serena in the U.S. Open finals.” Rarely do matches get to the point where a chair umpires hands out a game penalty. The USTA said it was unaware if any other such sanctions were awarded during the U.S. Open fortnight. In a timeline the USTA detailed events of the women’s final and indicated Ramos was right to make the calls he did and on Sunday the ruling body fined Williams $17,000 for the three Code violations. Mouratoglou later admitted he had been coaching but in another strange twist an unrepentant Williams continued to deny she had received any advice and was instead a victim of sexism. When approached for comment from Ramos the USTA said it does not make umpires available to the media. “He (Ramos) alleged that I was cheating, and I wasn’t cheating,” said Williams. “I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things. Slideshow ( 19 images ) “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. “For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark.” FEARLESS DISPLAY Almost lost in the chaos was a fearless and cool display from Osaka. Slideshow ( 19 images ) Before Williams’s collapse, Osaka had already put the 36-year-old under rarely seen pressure. Osaka had given Williams plenty of respect but no other concessions as she grabbed the early break on a double fault by her idol for a 2-1 first set lead she would not let go. Playing on tennis’s biggest stage in her first Grand Slam final, the enormity of the moment did not faze Osaka while Williams, contesting her 31st major final, looked unsteady. Williams’s implosion was not a totally unfamiliar sight for tennis fans, who watched a similar meltdown nine years earlier on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Playing a semi-final against Kim Clijsters, Williams flew into a rage after a line judge called her for a foot-fault on a second serve, leaving her match point down to the Belgian. Williams launched into an expletive-laced rant at the official. She waved her racket in the lineswoman’s direction and shook a ball in her clenched fist as she threatened to “shove it down” her throat. She was initially fined $10,500 for unsportsmanlike behavior, the maximum allowed on site at a tournament, and was then slapped with an additional $164,500 fine and put on probation for two years by the Grand Slam Committee. Williams could face further sanctions for her actions, the WTA issuing a statement to say it will be looking into the incident. “There are matters that need to be looked into that took place during the match,” the WTA said. “For tonight, it is time to celebrate these two amazing players, both of whom have great integrity.” Williams, however, received plenty of support from the tennis world including former American great Billie Jean King after whom the National Tennis Center is named and who has long fought for women’s equality in sport. “When a woman is emotional, she’s “hysterical” and she’s penalized for it,” King said on Twitter. “When a man does the same, he’s “outspoken” & and there are no repercussions. “Thank you, @serenawilliams, for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same.”<doc-sep>
Serena Williams has a chance to make history on Saturday at the US Open. A win over Naomi Osaka in the women's singles final would give Serena her 24th career Grand Slam singles title -- tying the all-time record held by Australia's Margaret Court. Williams, 36, had a chance to tie that record earlier this year when she reached the Wimbledon final in July, but she ultimately lost to Angelique Kerber. Instead, she'll have a chance to secure the monumental victory in her home country against the 20-year-old Osaka. The win would come in Williams' 32nd Grand slam final. It also would serve as a major personal achievement for Williams in the sense that it would be her first Grand Slam title since giving birth to her first child -- daughter Olympia -- about a year ago. But to fully comprehend the magnitude of Williams' accomplishment, it's important to understand how she got here. The road to the brink of 24 Grand Slam titles has been a long one, with decades of Williams' dominant presence owning the tennis circuit. Let's go back to the beginning. First Grand Slam singles title: 1999 US Open Williams' first-ever Grand Slam singles title also came at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Just 18 years old at the time, Williams defeated world No. 1 Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 in the final. Not only was it the first major individual win for Williams, but it was also a major milestone for the sport, as she became the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era. Williams added five more titles at the US Open in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. She'll be going for her sixth on Saturday. First French Open singles title: 2002 Serena's first singles win at the French Open came in 2002. She went through defending champion Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals, then defeated her sister Venus in the final. The younger Williams won in two sets (7-5, 6-3) and took her first step toward completing the first "Serena Slam" -- aka holding all Grand Slam titles simultaneously. (She would go on to win at Wimbledon and the US Open that year, then the Australian Open in 2003.) She became the fifth woman to accomplish the feat. In reaching the final, Venus and Serena also achieved the No. 1 and No. 2 world rankings, respectively. The pair also won the doubles title at the tournament that year. Serena went on to win on the clay at Roland-Garros in 2013 and 2015. First Wimbledon singles title: 2002 Months after defeating her sister in the final to capture the French Open, Serena did the same for her first Wimbledon title. Serena took down Venus -- the two-time defending champion -- in two sets, making it the first Grand Slam title in which she didn't lose a single set. Following the victory, the Williams sisters swapped places on the world leaderboard, marking the first time that Serena had achieved world No. 1 status. She would go on to win the event in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. First Australian Open singles title: 2003 Williams capped her first "Serena Slam" with a victory in the 2003 Australian Open final against -- you guessed it -- her sister Venus. It wasn't an easy path to the title, as Serena clinched the final with a three-set win, but also had trouble in the semifinal against Kim Clijsters. Williams found herself down 1-5 in the third set and faced two match points against Clijsters, but she showed fierce determination to rally and surge back to victory. Williams also went on to take home Australian Open titles in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2017. Consecutive World No. 1 ranking streak USATSI In capturing her seventh Wimbledon title in 2016, Williams also matched Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slams in the Open Era. The victory also helped propel her to her 186th consecutive week ranked No. 1, which matched Graf's all-time record for the longest such run in WTA history. However, Williams was upset by Karolína Pliskova in the semifinals of the US Open that week. With Angelique Kerber going on to win the US Open, she overtook Williams as the world No. 1, ending Williams' streak at 186 and preventing her from topping Graf's record.