A bitterly disappointed Novak Djokovic admits that a hectic past few months caught up with him after falling short of winning what would have been a record 21st major title at the US Open.
The world No.1 came into the final against Daniil Medvedev on a 27-match winning streak in major tournaments and was on the verge of achieving a Calendar Slam. Something that hasn’t been done on the men’s Tour for 53 years. However, the Serbian looked fatigued on the court and struggled to keep up with the intensity of his opponent. In his four previous matches, Djokovic has been forced to come back from a set down.
“I was just below par with my game. My legs were not there. I was trying. I did my best. I made a lot of unforced errors. I didn’t have — no serve really,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said during his press conference.
“If you’re playing someone like Medvedev who hits his spots so well, just aces, gets a lot of free points on his first serve, you’re constantly feeling pressure on your service games.’
“I was below par with everything, to be honest. So just one of these days where unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.”
Historically Medvedev had been a troublesome player for Djokovic on the Tour with him losing to him three times in their five most recent meetings prior to New York. According to the ATP, Medvedev is the only active player to have a winning head-to-head record over the Serbian when he is ranked one in the world.
The crucial point of the final occurred during the second set where Djokovic had various opportunities to break early on but failed to capitalize. Prompting him to smash his racket on the ground and receive a code violation. Djokovic’s inability to produce his best tennis was initially attributed to the matches he played earlier in the tournament but there was also another reason.
“I had more hours on the court than Daniil, that’s for sure. But it was also an emotionally very demanding period for me in the last five, six months. Slams, Olympics, and playing at home in Belgrade. Everything was coming together for me here and kind of accumulating all the emotions that I’ve been through,” he admits.
“Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the final step. But when you draw a line, you have to be very satisfied with the year. Three wins, three slams and a final. For the last couple of years, I’ve been very transparent and vocal about my goals, to play my best tennis at slams. I’m managing to do that.”
Perhaps the loss would have been more brutal if it wasn’t for the New York crowd who gave a standing ovation to the 34-year-old. Somebody who has previously experienced some hostility from fans during matches.
“The crowd made me feel very special. I did not know, I did not expect anything, but the amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I’ll remember forever.”
Despite having a mainly successful season with various accolades, there are signs that the landscape of men’s tennis is gradually changing with the Big Three not being as formidable as they once were. Djokovic was the only member of the trio to play in New York with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal being sidelined with injury.
Whether or not a change in the guard is starting with the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic argues that it is crucial for the sport to look at the wider picture.
“We are hoping that the transition will be smooth in terms of the attention and the popularity of this sport. It’s very important. We all, of course, want to win on the court, but at the same time we all at the top represent this sport. We need to be aware of that, take this responsibility and try to bring more fans to the world of tennis.” He concluded.
