Novak Djokovic recalled the emotional US Open final he was part of, and gave his thoughts on the crowd present that day.
Djokovic had a stellar 2021 and came so close to winning an unprecedented Grand Slam Calendar. He won a staggering three Grand Slam titles in that year and lost a very close final at Flushing Meadows to a fired-up Daniil Medvedev.
The US Open final and the days before and after it were emotional for the Serbian. The loss there was heartbreaking for him, but he revealed that it was a learning experience all thing considered.
Djokovic recalled the emotional US Open final he was part of, and said that he went through a wide range of feelings throughout those days in America.
“When I stepped onto the court for the US Open final, I was overwhelmed with the crowd support,” he said, as quoted by Tennis World USA.
“I’m not usually the crowd favorite in big matches. I wasn’t prepared for such a reception.
“It caught me off guard. I had a different emotional response that maybe affected my game.”
Cheer up, Nole
“I had a nice team dinner planned for after the US Open final. I was so emotionally wrecked that I didn’t want to go.
“But everyone cheered me up and I went. Monica Seles called me crying. It ended up being quite a long, emotional night – it eased my mind.”
Given that Djokovic generally isn’t usually the crowd favourite in big matches. However, the crowd cheered him at the US Open final and were firmly behind him. It was a great moment for him as a person and as a player.
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