On September 13, Beijing time, New York audiences have always disliked Novak Djokovic. This seems to be a well-known fact. According to the “Guardian”, on Sunday local time, the world‘s No. 1 lost the game, but won the hearts of American audiences.
The cold relationship between Djokovic and the audience at the US Open may be unavoidable at some point, and one day he will use some special way to resolve the embarrassment between the two sides. Finally, on Sunday night, the incident appeared in an unexpected form in the crowded Arthur Ashe Stadium. Minutes after the Russian Daniel Medvedev defeated Djokovic with an amazing performance and prevented him from winning his 21st Grand Slam championship in his career, the world‘s No. 1 picked up the microphone and stood in front of 25,703 spectators. Show your heart.
“Tonight I want to say that although I did not win the game, my heart is full of joy. I am the happiest person in the world because you make me feel special. You touched my soul.” At the awards ceremony Djokovic, with tears in his eyes, said, “To be honest, I have never felt like this in New York. I have never felt like this. I love you. Thank you very much for your support. I love you. We will meet again soon.”
The Serb exposed a rare vulnerability after this unexpected defeat. He was the first in history to lose one in four consecutive rounds since Quincy Shaw at the 1889 U.S. Open in 132 years. The player who reached the U.S. Open final under the circumstances of the set was originally considered to be another sign of Djokovic’s indomitable mental steel, but it also means that he is better than his opponent who is ten years younger before reaching the final. It took 6 more hours.
Counterattack from behind is what Djokovic is best at, just as he reversed Sisipas in the French Open final three months ago. But this time, his 34-year-old body is no longer dictating. “My legs are not there,” he admitted after the game.
Since his rise in the shadow of the two most popular players in the history of the sport, Djokovic has long been accustomed to fighting against audiences who oppose him, especially against the U.S. Open. He was booed for the first time after the infamous defeat of local artillery Andy Roddick in 2008. For many years, he has been the one who shattered many people’s dreams-breaking Federer-Nadal’s monopoly. Except for Ivan Lendl, no player seems “so unloved.”
But Sunday’s scene resembled the women’s singles final of the 1981 U.S. Open, when Martina Navratilova burst into tears after losing to Tracy Austin, which also marked her and New York. A permanent change in the relationship between fans. In fact, the American audience supported Federer so much. They applauded Djokovic’s serve errors and batting errors, and repeatedly shouted between his first and second serve. As a result, it was Medvedev’s turn to take it all again.
Even if Djokovic retires statistically as the greatest men’s player of all time-it is almost certain on this point-the scars of falling at the final level on Sunday will last a long time. But in the calm moment after the first defeat in 28 Grand Slam matches this year, the best player in the world can find comfort in the support he has received. When asked to describe his emotions when he collapsed in his chair after losing a game that was more important than any of the previous 1,175 games, Djokovic bluntly replied, “Relieve, I I am glad that it is finally over. At the same time, I feel sad, disappointed and grateful for the spectators and the special moments they have created for me on the court.”Return to Sohu to see more
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