Suddenly vulnerable: Novak Djokovic goes empty-handed at the Olympics
Novak Djokovic surprisingly missed a medal at the Olympic Games. The tournament in Tokyo gives the competition a boost.
by SID / tennisnet
last edit: Aug 01, 2021, 12:46 pm
Novak Djokovic fought like a battered lion. The Serbian world number one smashed his racket, fought off match point after match point with the last of his strength, before sneaking out of the Ariake Coliseum for the last time one day after the heavy defeat against Alexander Zverev. The Tour Dominator didn't even get the bronze "consolation prize" - at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the recently inviolable "Djoker" showed himself to be unusually vulnerable.
"I just didn't perform well yesterday and today. The level of my game has sunk, also because of the mental and physical exhaustion," said Djokovic, who stopped playing in the mixed match for bronze due to a shoulder injury : "I regret it very much that I didn't win a medal for my country. "
On Saturday, the 34-year-old had to admit defeat to Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 4: 6, 7: 6 (8: 6), 3: 6, the day before he was defeated by Zverev in three sets. Djokovic had not experienced two defeats in a row since the 2019 ATP Finals. The man who has triumphantly won all three Grand Slam tournaments so far this year suddenly shows weaknesses.
Djokovic: "These defeats usually made me stronger"
The major record champion, spoiled for victory, packed his bags without much resentment, as he claimed. "I don't regret coming to the Olympics at all," said Djokovic, who was the focus of interest that many athletes in the Olympic village asked for a photo: "I've had some heartbreaking defeats at the Olympics and major tournaments. And I know that those defeats usually made me stronger. "
He's still hoping for that now, after the dream of the Golden Slam, which so far only Steffi Graf managed to achieve in 1988, has burst. Because the Grand Slam, the triumph of all four majors in one calendar year, would be an absolute masterpiece even without Olympic gold. To do this, Djokovic has to stand up, build up his strength again and then attack again at the US Open at the end of August.
Djokovic injured? "Hopefully no problem at the US Open"
To do this, mind and body have to participate. When asked on his shoulder, he said on Saturday: "The physical consequences will hopefully not be a problem for me at the US Open. But that's something I'm not sure about at the moment."
The competitors for Zverev, who only narrowly missed the triumph in New York in 2020 in the final against Dominic Thiem, will draw a lot from the tournament in Tokyo. They have proven that the "Djoker" can be beaten after all.