Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Meltdown, but no medal, for Djokovic at Olympics
NEW DELHI: There’s something about the recent battles between Novak Djokovic and Pablo Carreño Busta. They evoke drama. They produce emotions. They hold significance.
In New York in September 2020, when the two met at the US Open, the Serb struck the line judge unintentionally with a ball in a moment of rage. He was disqualified. In Tokyo on Saturday, a frustrated Djokovic flung his racquet into the stands and the net. Exhausted, he exited the Olympics with a defeat even in the bronze-medal match.
The world No. 1 came to Tokyo eyeing a gold medal and a Golden Slam. He is leaving Tokyo without a medal and the confidence of completing a Calendar Slam slightly shaken.
This was a third defeat for the Serbian in two days -- he lost to Spain’s Carreño Busta 4-6, 7-6(6), 3-6 in the men’s singles on Saturday. Shortly after, he pulled out of the mixed doubles bronze medal tie with partner Nina Stojanovic citing a shoulder injury, and Australia’s Ashley Barty and John Peers were awarded the medal.
All of this came a day after Djokovic saw his year-long dream of becoming the first man to achieve the Golden Slam — winning all four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold in the same year — turn into a nightmare from being a set and a break up against Alexander Zverev in the semi-final.
The last time Djokovic lost two singles matches in a row was in November 2019, in the round robin stage of the ATP Finals. The last time Djokovic won a medal at the Olympics was a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, losing to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in London. In Rio he was out in the first round.
But in Tokyo, Djokovic lost a significant volume of energy too. Although the taxing heat forced authorities to push tennis matches to later in the day, Djokovic signed up to play mixed doubles.
The 34-year-old played two matches on Wednesday, two on Thursday and two on Friday. “I just didn’t deliver yesterday and today. The level of tennis dropped. Also due to exhaustion — mentally and physically,” Djokovic said. “I gave it all, whatever I had left in the tank, which was not so much.”
The US Open — where Djokovic will bid to complete a Calendar Slam after winning the Australian Open, French Open and
Wimbledon this year—starts in less than a month. And his Tokyo experience has the potential to derail that as well. “The consequences physically, hopefully, will not create a problem for me for the US Open, but that’s something that I’m not sure about right now,” Djokovic said.
After tying rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20 Grand Slams at Wimbledon, this was meant to be Djokovic’s year. This was also meant to be Djokovic’s Olympics, and it looked every bit like one. The Serb was the cynosure of all eyes in the Games Village — clicking selfies with athletes, working on his splits with Belgian gymnasts, cheering the loudest for his countrymen. But it wasn’t his time. Still, after the match on Saturday, he said: “I don’t regret coming to (the) Olympics at all.”