Blog 8 – Novak Djokovic’s 2021: The unimaginable feat that could’ve been

Novak Djokovic has been my idol for long. When he says, “pressure is privilege, and it drives me to perform”, I get in awe of him. He inspires me on how never, ever give up. If it’s a grand slam final and he is 0-2 down, I would put all my money on Novak to still turn the match around and come out victorious. Such is his methodical preparation, focus on process, and ability to take on severest of pressure.

In 2021, he had an excellent opportunity to make the unimaginable happen – to win all the four major grand slams in a calendar year, a feat achieved by Sir Rod Laver of Australia way back in 1969. Alas, it was not to be! Novak won the first three grand slams and came to the finals of the US Open, and then lost to Medvedev. This is how the cookie crumbled, so here are the salient highlights from the 2021 season for Djokovic.

Australian Open

• In full control till the 3rd round, in which he had a muscle tear, but still beat next-gen star Taylor Fritz in 5 sets
• Beat superpower Alexander Zverev in the quarters
• Defeated Aslan Karatsev in the semis, who was competing in his 1st slam
• Defeated Medvedev in the finals in straight sets to lift his 18th grand slam title (this opponent will come back in the story!)

Roland Garros

• Dominated the first 3 rounds
• Faced a stiff challenge against youngster Lorenzo Mussetti, who took him to 5 sets but Djokovic did well to pass the test
• Beat the energetic Berrettini in the quarters to set up a blockbuster clash with “The King Of Clay” Rafael Nadal
• Nadal was expected to dominate Djokovic and win a record 21st grand slam title. He didn’t concede even a single game to the world no.1 for the first 5 games, but Djokovic fought back, even though he lost the first set 6-3, he ignited a feeling of hope in himself and his fans. The determined Djokovic beat Nadal in 4 sets to set up a title clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas
• Although Tsitsipas won the first 2 sets, he looked out of sorts after those sets as Djokovic pounced on him to add to his glittering grand slam tally, making it 19. By lifting his 2nd Roland Garros title, he became the only male to win every grand slam twice.

Wimbledon

• Stepped into the illustrious Centre Court as the favourite right from the 1st round
• His improved serve was the main focus as he kept hammering aces down the tee. He marched into the semis with little to no problems, dropping just one set in the process
• With the Swiss maestro Roger Federer falling to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarters, and Rafael Nadal not competing in the tournament, the path looked clear for Djokovic
• He thrashed Denis Shapovalov in the semis, but the Canadian put up a valiant effort. Djokovic booked his place in the final with Matteo Berrettini
• Berrettini won the first set in the summit clash, with the first set going to a tiebreak. Djokovic bounced back and sealed the deal, winning his 20th grand slam title, matching Nadal and Federer’s tally.

US Open

• Came into the tournament after failing to register a medal for his country in the Olympics.
• Played well till the quarters, faced a challenge in the quarters from Berrettini, but defeated him in a similar fashion to the previous 2 grand slams.
• Had lost to Zverev in the semis of the Olympics, who then went on to become the Olympics Champion. Djokovic overcame that heartbreaking loss to defeat Zverev in a tiring, physical five-setter to set up a final with Daniil Medvedev
• Djokovic walked into the majestic Arthur Ashe Stadium with 17 hours of playing time in the tournament behind him, while Medvedev had competed for 11 hours. Djokovic never really looked in control and eventually lost in straight sets. The loss took an emotional toll on him, as he received the runners-up trophy in tears, yet got a standing ovation from the New York fans. Djokovic missed out on completing a calendar slam, which could’ve been the first since 1969 when Rod Laver achieved the feat. He also had the opportunity to race ahead in the total grand slam tally. It is to be seen what the future holds for one of the greatest of all time!