Meltdown. Who would have thought this word would ever be used to describe a Novak Djokovic performance on a tennis court?
For most of the past two seasons, Djokovic and meltdowns would have been deemed two opposite ends of the pole, destined never to meet. The Serb was Zen-like on the courts, uber-calm and super confident as he reigned over men’s tennis like few before him.
His tempestuous show in the semi-final of the Shanghai Masters, then, has come as a surprise to many. Djokovic, to put it mildly, lost his cool in that stormy 6-4, 6-4 loss to Roberto Augusto Agut, a man he had defeated in all five of their previous matches.
See also:
• Novak Djokovic vows to 'try to get better' as world No 1 spot comes under threat from Andy Murray
• 'I believe I can get there': Andy Murray sets sights on No 1 ranking after mastering Shanghai
“I can’t describe it in words,” said Bautista Agut, who first played against Djokovic in Dubai in 2013. “The first time I played Djokovic, I thought he was from another planet and now I believe I am closer to him.”
Few could have said it better. Djokovic had, indeed, seemed like a man from a different planet as he won six of the eight grand slams between the 2014 Wimbledon and the 2016 French Open. But over the past three months, since his momentous triumph at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam, he has looked mortal.
Of course, we all knew his imperious form would come to an end someday. But to his fans this sudden drop in performance has been mystifying. Yes, he has won Toronto and reached the final at the US Open since the French Open, but he has just not been himself.
Before the start of the US Open in August, Djokovic hinted that some “private issues” were responsible for his shock defeat to American Sam Querrey in the third round at Wimbledon, his earliest grand slam exit since the 2009 French Open, which derailed his quest for a calendar grand slam.
There have been health issues as well, but as Andy Murray pointed out, winning the French Open, after losing three finals, could be the chief cause of the sudden dip in Djokovic's high standards.
“It’s maybe normal if he’s mentally a little bit tired or trying to find the next thing to achieve after what he did at the French Open,” Murray, who has closed the gap on Djokovic’s world No 1 position to 2,415 points after starting the year 7,640 points behind, said after winning the Shanghai title.
“He’s been pushing for many years to try and achieve the full set of winning all four slams. He’s human and as soon as you do achieve the lifetime goal, there is bound to be a bit of a setback.”
Djokovic, himself, has admitted motivation has been in short supply since the French Open and he has been feeling “exhausted mentally and emotionally”.
“To be honest I am looking forward to finding the freshness and peace of mind of enjoying sport and enjoying being on the tennis court,” Djokovic told Sky Sports last month. “Somehow I lost it along the way after Paris and the French Open.”
The break before the start of the 2017 season will then be crucial for Djokovic as he tries to find that peace of mind. But, perhaps, a greater stimulus could be the battle for the No 1 position with Murray.
First, the domination of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had spurred him on. Later, as he stood alone on the peak of men's tennis, the elusive French Open kept him going. Now, with Roland Garros conquered, he needs something to play for, and a rivalry with Murray could provide just that.
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