US Open: Novak Djokovic targets calendar Grand Slam and 21st major title against Daniil Medvedev in final

Novak Djokovic will seek to clinch a record-breaking 21st men's major singles title and become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar Grand Slam when he faces Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final.

In contrast to the unexpected women's showpiece between Great Britain's Emma Raducanu and fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez, Sunday's climax to an unforgettable tournament sees the top two seeds meet in the men's draw.

World No 1 Djokovic, already a three-time winner at Flushing Meadows, is aiming to emulate Rod Laver by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year.

Should he do so, he would also move ahead of the 20 majors won by his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who both did not compete in New York due to injury.

With such history at stake, Djokovic has promised to play the match as if it was the last of his career.

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"I'm going for a fourth US Open, that's all I'm thinking about I know people like to hear me talk about it but there's not much to talk about," said Djokovic after his five-set semi-final victory against Alexander Zverev.

"There is only one match left. All in. Let's do it. I'm going to put my heart and my soul and my body and my head into that one. I'm going to treat the next match like it is the last match of my career."

Serena Williams was the last player to come close to the calendar Grand Slam.

Ahead of the 2015 US Open, she arrived in New York as the pre-tournament favourite but suffered a surprise defeat to unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals.

"I can relate to what she's been going through right now," Djokovic said. "I understand it now. Obviously, once you're in that situation, you can really comprehend what a player goes through.

"I understand why she wanted to avoid all the questions about it because in the end of the day, you have to go out on the court and deliver. You're expected to always win. For a great legend that she is, she always has that expectations from everyone, including herself.

"It's no different with me. We all have different formulas that work for us in terms of how we want to feel on the court, how we prepare ourselves, how we recuperate."

Medvedev, bidding to win his first Grand Slam title, is into his third major final, having lost to Nadal at the US Open two years ago and then to Djokovic at the Australian Open in February.

The 25-year-old Russian, who has won 17 of 19 matches since Wimbledon including a Masters 1000 title in Toronto, trails Djokovic 5-3 in the head-to-head between the pair.

"I think the thing that I understand, I always give my best, but I feel like I didn't leave my heart on the court in Melbourne," Medvedev said of his most recent defeat to Djokovic.

"Even if of course I wanted to, there was something not turning up this match. That's what I'm going to try to do on Arthur Ashe with hopefully 100 per cent of fans.

"No matter the score, I'm just going to turn up the heat, if I can say, and try to do my best, even more than what I did in Melbourne."

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Reflecting on what he called his "crazy" run to the 2019 US Open final, remembered for his interactions with the New York crowd which were akin to a feud, Medvedev describes his route this time around as stress-free.

"This year I didn't have the stories, and that's a good thing," Medvedev said.

Medvedev, who knocked out British No 1 Dan Evans in the last 16, has lost only one set on his way to Sunday's final during his quarter-final win against Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp.

In contrast, Djokovic has lost the first set in his previous four matches during this fortnight before improving his level and relying on his trademark mental resilience to maintain his hopes for history.

Speaking of his opponent in the final, Djokovic said: "It's going to be a battle against another guy who has been in tremendous form.

"On the other side, I'll be giving it all I possibly got in the tank to win this match."

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