Novak Djokovic began Sunday’s U.S. Open final chasing history. He then spent the next 2:16 chasing Daniil Medvedev around the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium and never came close to catching him.
And so the chase for the calendar Grand Slam came crashing down onto the hard court, the world’s No. 1 taken to the woodshed by the world’s No. 2 by 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that seemed off-key right from the opening game of the opening set in which Djokovic was broken.
Once again, as in 2015 on this same court when Serena Williams’ bid for a Grand Slam was shockingly halted in the semifinal by Roberta Vinci and in 2008 when the Patriots’ bid for a perfect season was denied in the Super Bowl by the Giants, we are reminded of these two truths:
Sports represent competition and not a coronation.
Nothing is inevitable.
Perhaps the pressure of attempting to become the first man to sweep the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open since Rod Laver in 1969 finally overwhelmed the Serb. Perhaps being extended to five sets Friday night by Alexander Zverev took some toll on Djokovic who spent 17 hours 26 minutes on the court as opposed to 11 hours 51 minutes by Medvedev through the first rounds.
This most agile of athletes seemed wooden. This most well-conditioned of players seemed tired.
“[Medvedev] was at the highest of his abilities on every shot. He had a lot of clarity on what he needs to do tactfully and executed it perfectly,” said the composed and gracious Djokovic. “On the other hand, I was below par. I was trying, I did my best, but I made a lot of unforced errors and I had no serve, really.
“I was below par with everything, you know, just one of these days where unfortunately it was not meant to be.”
Djokovic, who remains tied with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal with 20 career victories in the majors, has always been third by a wide margin in fan popularity here to the more celebrated Swiss and Spaniard. But this day, the crowd urged him on, raucously so, not only cheering wildly for him, but for his opponent’s mistakes.
Indeed, the fans became disruptive and unruly while Medvedev attempted to serve for the championship at 5-2 in the third set and then again at 5-4. And after Medvedev was broken for the first time in the match, cheers erupted and echoed through the stadium throughout the changeover during which Djokovic wept and covered his face with a towel.
“Of course part of me is very sad, it’s a tough one to swallow this loss considering everything on the line,” Djokovic said. “On the other hand, I felt something I never felt in my life here in New York.
“The crowd made me [feel] very special. It pleasantly surprised me. I did not know, I did not expect anything, but the amount of love and support I got from the crowd was something I’ll remember forever. That’s why I teared up in the changeover. The emotion and the energy was so strong … it was as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams.
“It’s how I felt. I felt very, very special. It touched my heart,” said the 34-year-old. “Of course you want to win but these are the kind of moments that you cherish and these are the kind of connections that you establish with people that will last for a very long time.”
Djokovic committed 38 unforced errors. Medvedev, 10. The first-time Grand Slam champion was unflappable and darn near impeccable. He was cool and in command. He never buckled in the face of adversity. He never buckled in the face of greatness across the net.
The Grand Slam season ends here. It ends with the triple-tie at the top. It ends with Djokovic 27-1 in the 2021 majors the way the 2007-08 NFL season with New England 16-1.
When it was over, Djokovic said he felt some, “relief.”
“I was glad it was over,” he said. “The build-up for this tournament and everything mentally and emotionally I had to deal with the last two weeks was just a lot … it was a lot to handle. I was glad that finally the run was over.
“Of course I’m disappointed with my overall performance. It’s a very tough loss. I know I could have and should have done better. But it’s sports, you know.”
Sports, where nothing is inevitable.