What I discovered so fascinating when Novak Djokovic gained his twenty fourth main and 4th US Open title is that it was an entire reversal of the 2021 US Open closing.
Daniil Medvedev, not Novak Djokovic, was the champion there, profitable in a extremely unexpected and albeit weird scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. What on earth occurred?
After profitable all three earlier majors that yr, Djokovic was on high of the tennis world and was trying to go for the “calendar grand slam”.
Maybe this yr, Djokovic felt much less strain to realize historical past and turned the tables for his personal straight-sets victory in a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 scoreline.
Defeat can typically loosen up gamers. A stinging loss for Roger Federer within the 2019 Indian Wells closing to Dominic Theim (though he gained the opening set, 6-3, comfortably) relaxed his physique.
On the subsequent Masters 1000 occasion additional south in Miami, Federer’s photographs grew to become free and straightforward, his highly effective neo-backhand returned, and he cruised by means of formidable opponents like Kevin Anderson and John Isner to say the final huge title he ever gained.
With Djokovic in New York, it was comparable. Gone was the strain of profitable all 4 slams in the identical yr after Alcaraz shocked the veteran Wimbledon champion together with his managed aggression.
Djokovic in all probability likes the thought of getting prolonged baseline exchanges, within the expectation that he is aware of he isn’t going to overlook typically and watch for his opponent to bodily tire or go for broke and make an unforced error.
His flexibility on a tough court docket by way of having the ability to each stretch and slide offers him an added insurance coverage coverage.
Prolonged exchanges from Medvedev usually are not one thing even Djokovic needed to get caught in. He was enjoying who is maybe his closest “mirror picture” on tour in the case of most well-liked type of play (extraordinarily excessive proportion tennis) and tactical preferences (baseline rallies).
Two years in the past, Djokovic was completely happy to rally, nevertheless it was Medvedev who, as a rule, had the persistence and ensured his groundstrokes remained inside the strains.
In the meantime, Djokovic anxiously needed to get the job completed, attacking with groundstrokes that grew to become unforced errors. With the reminiscence of 2021 burning in his thoughts, Djokovic radically switched issues up.
Although the match had its justifiable share of baseline exchanges, Djokovic got here to the web an astonishing 22 instances for a serve and volley play and gained 20 instances.
Djokovic additionally ventured to the forecourt throughout rallies, profitable 37 of 44 factors on the internet.
Being damaged within the first recreation of the primary set put Medvedev instantly on the again foot, going for dangerous performs like drop photographs or over-ambitious passes.
Djokovic, in flip, used crisp volleys or speedy footwork to succeed in the ball. Unusually, Medvedev missed a possibility by not attempting to disrupt Djokovic’s recreation in the identical means and largely averted coming to the web until he needed to.
Later, trademark photographs from the Serb would seem – the backhand down the road or the backhand drop shot – each performs that additional denied Medvedev the essential rhythm he wanted from the baseline and an indication that Djokovic’s confidence was rising, particularly after closing out the marathon second set that lasted over an hour and 40 minutes.
A twenty fourth grand slam is critical due to its relevance to different gamers with massive main counts.
Grand Slam Leaderboard
Participant
Grand Slam Titles
Novak Djokovic
24
Margaret Court docket
24
Serena Williams
23
Steffi Graf
22
Rafael Nadal
22
Roger Federer
20
Equalling Margaret Court docket’s document is one thing to be celebrated. However is it helpful to rely grand slams between gamers of various eras and genders?
Djokovic has typically problematised the GOAT debate between himself, Nadal and Federer as a result of it reductions older generations competing with totally different gear, entry to high quality physio and coaching (in comparison with trendy instances), and funds.
He argues that the highest gamers of the day had been nice in their very own means.
Would Rod Laver of the Sixties beat Djokovic of the 2020s? It’s unfair to match as a result of the enjoying type was so totally different again then.
Would prime Djokovic be capable to beat prime Serena Williams? Tennis (and most sports activities) is segregated by gender for a cause: in order that one might not have an “unfair benefit” over the opposite.
Does this imply that Djokovic’s stand up the grand slam rely is, due to this fact, extra spectacular than Serena’s?
Having a mixture of gamers right here isn’t useful as a result of Djokovic would by no means get to play in opposition to a high feminine participant.
Even relative to different gamers in his period and the lads’s recreation, Djokovic has reached dizzying new heights.
That is essential mentally for the Serb. We’ve seen how breaking group data (like Djokovic going for the calendar grand slam) can pressure gamers.
However this second for Djokovic jogs my memory of when Federer broke Pete Sampras’s document to win 15 main titles in 2009. He not has the strain of competing in opposition to another person’s document or reaching crowd expectations.
Djokovic, like Federer then, is solely in a category of his personal, and a calmer thoughts might unleash even additional victories for him.
Even Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s solely vital rival, was proven to not be invincible, overwhelmed by him quickly after the Wimbledon loss on the Cincinnati Masters in August.
If Djokovic continues to adapt like he has with Medvedev and Alcaraz, then the one man he has to beat is himself.
How vital do you suppose Djokovic’s victory is? Can we examine him to different nice gamers of the lads’s and girls’s recreation in several eras? And the way effectively can he proceed to adapt in opposition to the highest gamers? Depart your feedback beneath.
