Novak Djokovic gained a measure of revenge for the crushing of his Grand Slam dreams by defeating Daniil Medvedev to win the Rolex Paris Masters.
The world number one was back in match action this week for the first time since falling one victory short of claiming all four slam titles in a year when he was beaten by Medvedev in the US Open final in September.
They met again for the trophy in the French capital, and second seed Medvedev had the upper hand early on, but this time Djokovic turned the tables to win 4-6 6-3 6-3.
A family victory ❤️
🎥: @TennisTV | @DjokerNole | #RolexParisMasterspic.twitter.com/FBLoKvLuRM— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 7, 2021
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A day after ensuring he would end a season on top of the rankings for a record seventh time, the Serbian set another new mark with a 37th Masters title, pulling him clear of Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic had appeared understandably a little rusty this week, needing a deciding tie-break to overcome Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals, and Medvedev maintained his form from his thrashing of Alexander Zverev on Saturday in the first set.
But Djokovic moved ahead early in the second, cutting out the drop shots and utilising his net skills, before opening up a 5-2 lead in the decider.
He was unable to serve out the victory at the first time of asking but broke Medvedev’s serve for a third straight game to clinch the title before celebrating with his children, Stefan and Tara, in the stands.
