I lost title but won hearts
Novak revels in being object of affection as he’s downed by Dan
Medvedev
NOVAK DJOKOVIC left Flushing Meadows without the calendar Grand Slam he’d cherished but filled with joy at finally being accepted by the New York crowd.
The world No.1 has never enjoyed the global popularity of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal but with history on the line in the US Open on Sunday, the level of support moved him to tears.
And although he didn’t have enough left in the tank to beat Daniil Medvedev as the Russian stormed to his first Slam, Djokovic admitted winning over the crowd was compensation for the despair of defeat.
He said: “Part of me is very sad. It’s a tough one to swallow, this loss, considering everything that was on the line.
“But on the other hand I felt something I never felt in my life here in New York.
“The crowd made me feel very special. They pleasantly surprised me. I did not expect anything. But the amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something I’ll remember forever.
“That’s the reason I just teared up. The emotion, the energy was so strong. It’s as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That’s how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special.
“They touched my heart, honestly. Of course, at the end of the day you want to win. You’re a professional athlete.
“These are the kind of moments that you cherish.”
The 34-year-old lost in straight sets and Medvedev’s victory – allied to the triumph of
teenage Brit Emma Raducanu in the women’s singles – is being seen as a changing of the guard.
Djokovic, who will continue to be the man to beat, believes change is in the wind.
He added: “I think it has already started in a way, with Dominic Thiem winning here last year. Look, it’s normal. The transition was inevitable.
“The older guys are still hanging on. We’re still trying to shine the light on the tennis world as much as we possibly can. But the new generation, if you want to call them this way, is not new.
“It’s already established. Of course, they are going to take over. I think tennis is in good hands because they’re all nice guys and very, very good, highquality tennis players.
“They’ve got something to offer on and off the court.”
Medvedev, at 25, is in the vanguard of the challengers, who include Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
The Russian was sensational in the final and withstood major pressure from the crowd to get over the line in the third set, winning 6-4 6-4 6-4.
He said: “I do feel sorry for Novak because I cannot imagine what he feels.
“I don’t know this feeling. It definitely makes it sweeter.
“Knowing I beat somebody who was 27-0 in a year in Grand
Slams, I lost to him in Australia, he was going for huge history and I managed to stop him, it definitely makes it sweeter and brings me confidence for what is to come on hard courts.
“But let’s see about other surfaces. You never know if you’re going to achieve it in your career.
“Now there’s a lot of happiness. That’s my first Grand Slam. I don’t know how I’m going to feel if I win a second one or third one.”