Novak Djokovic's First Round Upset Loss in US Open Doesn't Diminish His Legacy
Djokovic broke down in tears after his first-ever first-round exit at the US Open last weekend. Still, one defeat doesn't take away what the 39-year-old has been able to accomplish as one of the greats of tennis.
Video Transcript
A 24-time Grand Slam champion.
That's who Novak Djokovic is.
The legends, one of the legends of tennis, and yet that came to an unceremonious end in round one of the US Open when Novak lost.
A shocking loss, an upset loss, but a loss.
What does it mean for him, for the rest of his career, for the present and the current state of his career?
And does it diminish anything he's attained over the course of it?
Let's break it down.
Djokovic, of course, came into the US Open short on practice, and it's no secret that he wasn't 100% during the match.
He fell ill multiple times.
It was his first defeat in round one at a major title since the 2006 Australian Open.
He said post-game it really was not enjoyable based on how he felt entering the match and how he felt during it, and you could see that during the match, near the end of it.
He was emotional.
He had tears on his face.
He was trying to hide them, trying to mask them until the match was over, until he eventually lost, but he couldn't.
Just shows how much the game of tennis has meant to him, how much it's meant to his life.
Again, he's 39 years old.
He's just, he's doing what pretty much everyone his age who isn't retired has not been able to do, and that's still compete at the top of pretty much every Grand Slam title, the US Open being the latest one.
But aside from the last few years, his resume is pretty much flawless.
The question is, does this loss, does this illness at his age mean the end for Novak Djokovic?
And I don't think so.
We've counted him out so many times, and what has he done?
He's bounced back every single other time.
You can't count him out because at 39 years old going on 40, he's a unicorn.
He's one of a kind.
He's one of one.
He's like the Victor Wembanyama, so to speak, of tennis, not from an age standpoint, but from a uniqueness standpoint.
Sure, he's not seven foot three.
Sure, he doesn't have a crazy long wingspan.
But the efficiency, the consistency, it's LeBron James-esque, and it's truly remarkable what he's been able to do.
Whether he keeps it up or not, well, only he knows the answer to that.
Only he knows how his body is gonna feel in the long term, how it's feeling now.
But I think Novak Djokovic has a few more in him, and I don't think this loss in the US Open is gonna stop him for long.
While the career might be coming to a close, this is not the end.
He'll bounce back.
He'll recover.
And if he doesn't, oh well, he's still on the Mount Rushmore.
He still ear-earned himself a top five, top three even spot in the history of tennis.
It's just what he does
