Defeated in the final of the US Open last September by Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic failed in his quest for a calendar Grand Slam. Rod Laver’s achievement still holds up …
During the final of the US Open between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, all have in mind the feat of Rod Laver, winner in 1969 of four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year for the second time in his career. Since then, no tennis player has achieved such a performance. Earlier in the season, the Serbian won the first title in Melbourne against Daniil Medvedev before beating Rafael Nadal and then Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros. If seeing the world number 1 win in Australia is not at all abnormal, to see him lift the Porte d’Auteuil trophy is even more so, especially after having defeated the undisputed master of the place. From then on, the second part of the season seemed more exhilarating than usual, because the undisputed leaders of each surface were no longer so. Roger Federer abdicated in the round of 16 at Wimbledon and left the field open to his successor who is none other than Novak Djokovic. On English turf, the Serbian lost two short sets throughout the tournament and won the mental battle against Matteo Berrettini in the final. In London, the world number 1 tied the number of Grand Slam victories in the Open era of the Swiss legend and the Spanish monster.
Disappointment in Tokyo then in New York
After Wimbledon, the Olympic Games stood in front of Djokovic and with them, the prospect of a Golden Slam (Golden Grand Slam). But the Serbian showed a lot of signs of annoyance, nervousness and lost in the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev, future Olympic champion, then against Pablo Carreño Busta for the bronze medal. The Japanese failure digested, Novak Djokovic concentrated his efforts in this quest for a calendar Grand Slam. In Flushing Meadows, the “Djoker” lacked freshness and all the weight in the world seemed to weigh on him. Facing him, Daniil Medvedev was determined to stop him. This time the Russian looked untouchable and the Serbian lost in three sets. His dream went up in smoke, as in 2011 and 2015, years during which only Roland-Garros had resisted him. Rod Laver can still be calm, he will not yet be equaled.
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