Novak Djokovic won his 14th Grand Slam title and third US Open after claiming a straight-sets victory over Juan Martin del Potro at Flushing Meadows on Sunday evening.

A year after missing the US Open because of an injured right elbow that would eventually require surgery, Djokovic showed that he is unquestionably back at his best and back at the top of tennis.

The Serb’s returns and defence-to-offence were as impeccable as ever. Djokovic collected his second Grand Slam title in a row – after winning Wimbledon – with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over the 2009 US Open champion.

Djokovic got the only break in the first set when he broke Del Potro in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead; he needed only one set-point to seal the set 6-3.

The second set was the best of the match. Djokovic got an early break in the third game only to give it back to Del Potro in the sixth. The pivotal point in the match came in the eighth game, a 20-minute, 22-point epic showdown. Three times, Del Potro was a point from breaking and earning the right to serve to make it a set apiece. Three times, Djokovic steeled himself and eventually, he seized the game as the set went to a tie-break.

Del Potro took an early 3-1 lead in the breaker, but unforced errors let Djokovic back into the contest and he eventually sealed it 7-4 to take a two-set lead.

Djokovic broke first again in the third to take a 3-1 lead, but Del Potro threw everything he had in his locker to break back the very next game.

It looked like the third might also head to a tie-break, but Djokovic got the break he needed in the eighth game and served out the match to win his third US Open title.

Photo: @usopen/Twitter