"I saw her; she smiled every single time I needed" - Novak Djokovic on how daughter Tara's support helped him win 'stressful' US Open final

After Novak Djokovic won the 2023 US Open, his daughter Tara was the first person from the family he embraced. In the press conference after his victory, the Serb revealed why he approached his daughter before anybody else.

On Sunday, September 10, Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a three-hour and 16-minute long slugfest to clinch his 24th Grand Slam title. While it was a straight-sets contest, the Serb did not enjoy the upper hand throughout.

At the tail end of the second set, following multiple long rallies, Djokovic appeared visibly drained. He stretched his legs between points and struggled to chase the ball down. The 36-year-old eventually found himself a set point down on his serve.

Despite his struggles, however, Djokovic displayed immense grit and resilience to stay afloat. He was eventually able to pull through and win the set in the tiebreak.

Djokovic made the most of his momentum and his two-set lead, sealing the deal in the third set without much fuss.

The World No. 1 went straight towards his daughter Tara after he shook hands with his opponent. The six-year-old was not present in the Serb’s player box; she was instead seated in the front row of the Arthur Ashe Stadium, away from the rest of the family.

In his post-match press conference at the US Open, Djokovic said it was Tara who helped him cross the finish line by cheering him on during the stressful moments in the match.

“I wanted to hug my daughter because she was there sitting in the front row. I didn't know that she's gonna be seated there. We had way too many people for too little seats in the player box,” he said. “My wife was taking care of that with my team. I didn't know who was going to sit where.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion added that whenever he spotted Tara in the crowd, she smiled at him. That gave him the strength and support he needed to prevail in the match.

“When I got to the court, I saw her. She was facing me when I was sitting on the bench. And she smiled at me every single time I needed, I guess, that kind of innocent child energy -- I got it from her,” the 36-year-old said.

“You know, when I was going through the very stressful moments, particularly in the second set when I needed a little bit of a push, of a strength, of, yeah, just lightness, I guess, she gave me a smile, a fist pump. She was into it,” he added.

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"My team, my family knew that the last 24 hours, don't touch me, don't speak to me" – Novak Djokovic on preparing for the 2023 US Open final

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 US Open

The last time Novak Djokovic stepped on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium before this year was in 2021, when he lost the final to Daniil Medvedev. A lot was on the line during that match; the Serb, who was vying for a Calendar year Grand Slam, fell one win short.

Going into the 2023 final against the Russian, Djokovic was in pursuit of history yet again, aiming for an Open Era record of 24 Grand Slam triumphs. The 36-year-old said that he needed to ensure he didn't let the pressure of the occasion get to him this time around.

“I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to allow the importance of the moment and what's on the line get to my head, because two years ago that's what happened, and I underperformed and I wasn't able to be at my best and I was outplayed. So I learned my lesson,” he said.

The World No. 1 added that his team and his family had to follow strict rules to keep him distracted.

“My team, my family knew that the last 24 hours, don't touch me, don't speak to me about, you know, the history of what's on the line,” he said. “I really did my best to keep things quite simple and stick to the routines that brought me to where I am.”