Tough to swallow loss but in tennis we learn very quickly: Novak Djokovic

World No.1 Novak Djokovic said that the defeat in the US Open final to Russian Daniil Medvedev, which cost him the calendar Grand Slam, was “tough to swallow” and that a “part of me is very sad”.
Tough to swallow loss but in tennis we learn very quickly: Novak Djokovic

RUSSIAN GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS :

Medvedev is the fourth Russian to win the US Open and the sixth to lift a Grand Slam title overall.

US Open: Marat Safin (2000), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004), Maria Sharapova (2006)

Wimbledon: Sharapova (2004)

French Open: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1996), Anastasia Myskina (2004), Kuznetsova (2009), Sharapova (2012)

Australian Open: Kafelnikov (1999), Safin (2005), Sharapova (2008).

NEW YORK: World No.1 Novak Djokovic said that the defeat in the US Open final to Russian Daniil Medvedev, which cost him the calendar Grand Slam, was "tough to swallow" and that a "part of me is very sad".

Djokovic, after winning the first three majors of the year, was trying to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in one season and break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most major titles in history (20 each). But 25-year-old Medvedev spoiled the party.

"Of course, part of me is very sad. It's a tough one to swallow, this loss, I mean, considering everything that was on the line. But on the other hand I felt something I never felt in my life here in New York. The crowd made me [feel] very special. They pleasantly surprised me," an emotional Djokovic told atptour.com on Monday (IST).

Since his 2015 Wimbledon triumph, Djokovic had won 12 of his past 14 Grand Slam singles finals, losing only to Spain's Rafael Nadal at the French Open last year and Swiss player Stan Wawrinka at Flushing Meadows in 2016.

The Serb will have to wait for some more time to pull clear of his other two illustrious rivals — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — who also have 20 major titles.

Despite the disappointment, Djokovic said he was relieved the pursuit of the Grand Slam had ended and explained why tears had welled up in his eyes during the last changeover.

"The amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I'll remember forever. That's the reason on the changeover I just teared up. The emotion, the energy was so strong. It's as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That's how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special."

Victory over Medvedev in the Australian Open final in February had set in motion Djokovic's bid for a calendar Grand Slam. He then beat Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open final and a sixth Wimbledon trophy kept the dream alive until it came crashing down at Flushing Meadows. Agencies

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