Djokovic vs. Del Potro: Highlights, Comments, Stats and Prize Money

Novak Djokovic is the king of New York.

After facing something of a struggle in the middle set, Djokovic righted himself, got back on track and defeated Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open championship match.

Djokovic won the match in straight sets, by 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 margin, winning the 14th Grand Slam title of his career and his third U.S. Open.

Djokovic used his athleticism, conditioning and shot-making ability to get the best of his Argentinian opponent. Del Potro trailed 3-1 in the second set before he found his stride, and he won the next three games of the set.

He had a chance to take command in the eighth game of the set with multiple break points and a pro-Del Potro crowd cheering him on with a rhythmic "Del-po, Del-po" and "Ole, ole" chants, but he could not take one of those points in the 20-minute game that could have changed the direction of the match.

If Del Potro had broken Djokovic, he would have been serving for the second set with a 5-3 advantage. Since his serve was reaching speeds greater than 130 miles per hour, he would have had an excellent chance to win the set and square the match.

Give credit to Djokovic for finding a way to stem the Del Potro momentum. He fell behind in the second set tiebreaker but remained focused and rallied to win it. The Argentinian tried to put together a charge in the final set and registered one service break, but he was unable to complete the rally against the determined Djokovic.

"You learn from adversity, when you have doubtful moments," Djokovic told ESPN's Chris McKendry during the awards ceremony. "I would just like to congratulate Juan Martin for what he has done in the last five years, with his wrist injuries and coming back. I know that he's going to be here again with the champion's trophy."

Del Potro explained that his journey was difficult because of his injuries but he did not give up. "I love you, too, guys," Del Potro said to the fans that supported him. "To play in this final against Novak, he is one player I want to watch winning titles. I am sad because I lost, but I am happy for him."

Djokovic earned $3.8 million for his triumph, while Del Potro received $1.85 million as the second-place finisher.

Here's a look at the full payoffs in the event, per the U.S. Open website:

Singles:

Winner: $3,800,000
Runner-Up: $1,850,000
Semifinalist: $925,000
Quarterfinalist: $475,000
Round of 16: $266,000
Round of 32: $156,000
Round of 64: $93,000
Round of 128: $54,000

Djokovic did not have many key statistical advantages in the match, but he did better on his second serve and in net points. Djokovic won 25-of-43 second serves (58 percent), while Del Potro struggled in that area, winning 16-of-32 (50 percent), per the U.S. Open website.

Djokovic used his athleticism to win 27-of-36 (75 percent) net points, while Del Potro went to the net far fewer times and won 12-of-17 (71 percent) points.

Del Potro had a 6-1 advantage in aces he also tied Djokovic with 31 winners in the match. The runner-up was clearly competitive, but he couldn't win enough key points to earn the second Grand Slam title of his career.

Djokovic's triumph was the 14th Grand Slam title of his career, tying him with Pete Sampras for third on the all-time list. He trails Roger Federer, who has 20 Grand Slams, and Rafael Nadal, who has 17.