With Rafael Nadal out for the season, many expected Novak Djokovic would achieve the career grand slam. However, Carlos Alcaraz stood in his way and emerged triumphant in Wimbledon. While a sad defeat for Djokovic, he still stands as the prospective player to win the upcoming US Open. As he prepares to play the slam once again, he remembers his last unfortunate defeat.
Losing to Daniil Medvedev was not the worst thing for Djokovic at the US Open. Last year, the Serbian player was denied entry into the country due to vaccination rules.
Novak Djokovic reminisces his 2021 US Open defeat
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Novak Djokovic has faced harrowing times in the tournaments held in the US over the last few years. Since 2018, he has not won a single US Open. He came close to lifting the title again in 2021 but experienced a defeat at the hands of Daniil Medvedev. His defeat was not only sad due to a final loss but also because it took away the Grand Slam achievement from him.
However, Djokovic is looking forward to clinching his fourth US Open this year. After his defeat against Alcaraz in Wimbledon, he gave an interview. He said that he is moving forward to win. He is completely focused on the US Open and the Davis Cup as his priorities, according to PUNTODEBREAK. Along with that, he wants to be at the top of his health and stay as motivated as possible to add to his record.??
Additionally, he said, “I am very happy to return to New York.?I feel comfortable on hard track and as much as I have recorded great results on grass, I think hard tracks are best for my game.”
Djokovic further remembers his last presence in the US Open, “I lost several finals there, the last one to Danii in 2021, but I felt like I had won the love of the entire audience, which is not something that happens to me very often, so I really want to go back.”
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While he has set his sights on the main title, he was ousted from the 2022 US Open before he could begin playing.
The Djoker was eliminated before beginning
As the vaccine for the COVID-19 virus became available, several countries made it mandatory for entry. However, Djokovic refused, citing unknown potential health issues. Due to this reason, he was not allowed to play in the US Open and the Australian Open in 2022. While he did ask for permission to be let in for the tournament, he faced denial at every point.?
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Now, the stringent policy has been lifted, and Djokovic will play for the hard-court slam once again. Will he be able to overcome his opponents to win his fourth US Open? Tell us in the comments below!