Novak Djokovic Follows Alcaraz to First Week Exit Door
US Open
August 31, 2024
Novak Djokovic was always unlikely to win the US Open after his heroics at the Olympic Games.
It’s so hard to maintain your physical and emotional intensity when you have just achieved the ambition of a lifetime.
Novak Djokovic can do so much better at Wimbledon 2025. And he may see the Australian Open as a chance for further major success too.
For now, the Olympics hangover was just too great to overcome across the Atlantic. He probably suspected as much at the outset.
‘Honestly with the way I felt and played from the start of the tournament…round three is s success!’ claimed Djokovic later.
And yet Novak’s first-week departure from Flushing Meadows was still shocking. He has hardly ever served as badly as he did on Friday against improving Aussie Alexei Popyrin.
Djokovic admitted: ‘I played some of the worst tennis I have ever played. My serving was by far some of the worst ever.’
The statistics support that brutal self-assessment. Novak served fourteen double faults – an embarrassing career low in terms of level at a Grand Slam contest. For all his fine play, the plucky underdog might not have beaten Djokovic otherwise.
Indeed the sheer surprise and delight on Popyrin’s face at the end of his 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory told a story in itself. His fairy tale in New York will surely be treasured forever.
And now he plays Frances Tiafoe, who came through a thrilling five-setter against his compatriot Ben Shelton. Tiafoe was probably already preparing for Djokovic in his head.
Few saw quite such an early defeat coming for the greatest player of all time – despite all his emotional and physical exhaustion in the aftermath of Paris 2024.
But on the bright side, this means Djokovic can recharge the batteries and focus on what ambitions remain in his illustrious career.
Novak Djokovic wants to win a final Grand Slam to edge past Margaret Court. He can hope to achieve that at Wimbledon 2025.
There is one more title to win for his century of tour trophies. There are plenty of statistical reasons not to retire just yet.
You do feel that 2025 will be Novak’s final year, though. He didn’t win a single major in 2024. The consistency in his supreme game is beginning to disappear.
But on grass Novak Djokovic has made the last two Wimbledon finals. And he will believe he can still triumph at Wimbledon 2025.
Will you be there? Just give us a call to ensure you see a living legend before it’s too late.