Epic gesture! Novak Djokovic dedicates 24th Grand Slam victory to late Kobe Bryant - WATCH

Novak Djokovic battled past Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, including a tiebreaker, to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slams. The victory, which fetched Djokovic his fourth US Open in 10 Flushing Meadows finals, capped a remarkable season for the Serbian star with wins at the Australian Open, French Open, US Open and a return to the world number one rank.

3 things you need to know

• Novak Djokovic extended his record major win in men's singles
• Djokovic has become the oldest man to win the US Open title 
• The Serb has now won three Grand Slams in a year four times 

ALSO READ: Novak Djokovic Wins The US Open For His 24th Grand Slam Title By Beating Daniil Medvedev

After defeating Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3, Djokovic put on a T-shirt that honoured Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. The shirt read "Mamba Forever" on the front with a picture of Bryant and Djokovic. On the backside, No.24 was printed in purple, which was Bryant's numbers during his illustrious career.

When asked about the tribute, Djokovic said that he came up with the idea a week ago to honour his late friend. He added that he used to receive advice on his own career from Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter and seven others in 2020. 

“Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner's mentality when I was struggling with injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game,” Djokovic said. “He was one of the people that I relied on the most."

“He was always there for any kind of counsel, advice, any kind of support in the most friendly way,” Djokovic continued. "So of course what happened a few years ago and him and his daughter passing hurt me deeply, and I thought 24 is the jersey he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball, so I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all the things he’s done.”

Djokovic threw his racquet and dropped to his knees after clinching the historic win. He then picked himself up and ran straight to his family and team. The US Open 2023 men's singles final was a star-studded affair as celebrities like Timothee Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey were in attendance.