Novak Djokovic fondly remembers his US Open final defeat
At the US Open 2021, Novak Djokovic suffered one of the bitterest defeats of his career - which, however, also brings back positive memories for him.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Mar 23, 2023, 01:54 pm
Djokovic had the great opportunity in New York to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the Grand Slam - i.e. all four major tournaments within one calendar year. After previously triumphing at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbldon.
In the end, nothing came of it: Daniil Medvedev was too strong in the final, but also won against a "Djoker" who didn't really play well, and tears were already flowing at the end of the match. On the one hand, because the immense pressure was too great even for him - on the other hand, because the New York audience stood behind him like a wall. A feeling that Djokovic did not know - and that overwhelmed him.
"Getting a lot of love and appreciation from people"
In a conversation with CNN, Djokovic looked back on this moment - and that's why he expressed his great hope of being able to compete in New York again this year. He had missed the 2022 edition due to the Corona regulations in the USA.
"I really want to play there, even be there," he said. "I probably had one of the best moments I've ever had with the New York crowd in 2021 when I lost to Medvedev in the final. And I've been lucky enough to win that tournament three times and play a lot of finals. And even though I After losing that match, I got a lot of love and recognition from people and I want to come back and reconnect with the crowd there. That's something I'm looking forward to - hopefully that will happen too."
He doesn't hold a grudge that he's currently missing the US tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. "I have no regrets," said Djokovic. "I've learned throughout my life that regrets only hold you back, that you live with them in the past. And I don't want that. I don't want to live too much in the future either. I want to be as good as possible in the moment. But of course I'm thinking about the future and about creating a better future."