Medvedev should thank all the earlier round players (especially Zverev) for tiring out Djokovic

Jokervich

Hall of Fame
There was very little chance Djokovic loses that match if he comes in reasonably fresh. When you are tired out from playing multiple tough 4 setters and a really tough 5 setter, there's no way you can give it your best in the final. Zverev in particular destroyed his chances by taking him to 5 sets (Zverev after the match said he hoped Djokovic won the tournament - stupid comment to make after he destroyed his chances by tiring him out unnecessarily). You could see that Djokovic was physically gone at the start of the final. Medvedev almost certainly would not have beaten a physically fresh Djokovic.

Mark my words - if Djokovic and Medvedev meet at the AO and Djokovic is physically fresh, he beats Medvedev easily.
 

guga_fan

Professional
Meh. Medvedev's draw was certainly easier, but Djokovic spent too much energy in matches he should have finished earlier. Med took care of the weak opponents quickly, while Djokovic did not.

If Djokovic had not played Olympics and played just Cincy or Canada, he would have entered the tournament in better form and maybe spend much less energy, his team was probably right in not wanting him there. But that's what they say about hindsight...
 

ForehandCross

G.O.A.T.
With that cakewalk of a draw? Sure. Give Djokovic Medvedev's draw, he wins the tournament.
Keep coping. See Djokovic is GOAT, but to not give credit to Medvedev is something we can't agree on.

Go back and watch the highlights. Djokovic was nowhere near Med's serve except two games. Djokovic was even losing the long rallies where he actually was giving his all.
 

roysid

Hall of Fame
There was very little chance Djokovic loses that match if he comes in reasonably fresh. When you are tired out from playing multiple tough 4 setters and a really tough 5 setter, there's no way you can give it your best in the final. Zverev in particular destroyed his chances by taking him to 5 sets (Zverev after the match said he hoped Djokovic won the tournament - stupid comment to make after he destroyed his chances by tiring him out unnecessarily). You could see that Djokovic was physically gone at the start of the final. Medvedev almost certainly would not have beaten a physically fresh Djokovic.

Mark my words - if Djokovic and Medvedev meet at the AO and Djokovic is physically fresh, he beats Medvedev easily.
I think it will be competitive. Medvedev was not prepared for 21 AO final mentally. But he will be at AO 22 final
Djokovic will be the favourite, bit it wont be a blowout
 

Rickenbacker4003

Hall of Fame
Joker should never have dropped sets to Nishikori and Brooksby. Those matches got drawn out much more than they should have. Losing a set to Berrettini was expected, but he went to the Zverev match already at 60% tank full. But in the big picture, Joker was gassed after Wimbledon. He looked tired in the Olympics and went as far as he did in the USO on experience and mental strength alone. I would expect him to take the rest of the year off.
 
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Deleted member 771911

Guest
With that cakewalk of a draw? Sure. Give Djokovic Medvedev's draw, he wins the tournament.
It’s easy to say that. But the draw you get is the draw you get. Djokovic had an easy enough draw rounds 1-4. He was dropping sets. He had a great match up in the QF. Yes, Zverev is tough. But my point is Medvedev doesn’t have to thank anyone but himself and his team. He could not have handled the whole thing better. Grade A.
 
Well, Novak shouldn't be losing sets to guys like Nishikori, Rune and Brooksby and could've finished Zverev in 4. Passive game led to staying more on court. Though he also checked out mentally, absolutely choked at the prospect of CYGS.
 

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
Medvedev should thank himself for getting through his rounds with little stress and then performing like a champion in the final.

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tudwell

G.O.A.T.
Novak should have torn through the draw until the semis with Zverev. He tired himself out dropping sets to guys he should have mangled in straights.
 

PilotPete

Hall of Fame
Sure Novak wasn't as fresh as he'd like to have been but he's been there before and pulled it out. I'd say he was losing to Danil regardless of how fresh he was, it just would have been a lot tighter.
 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
Medvedev had a cakewalk. For all the talk of Djokovic's easy draws this year, it's crickets on an actual cakewalk. You can only play who is in front of you but make no mistake it can make or break whether you can win a Slam. Next gen needed this to happen to break through imo and Medvedev took full advantage, as he should have. So the one Medvedev should thank the most is the draw committee. Lol
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Novak played this US Open with the same attitude that many of us have when watching him; win is inevitable and fitness is not an issue.

He stepped out on court each round like he dgaf about losing the opening set and would start trying when he felt like it. There was no sense of urgency to win quickly and he paid for it.
 

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
Load of rubbish. You're coming across a lot like your avatar right now.

Djokovic was weighed down mentally the entire tournament. He said as much afterwards. If there were physical limitations last night, which there is minimal evidence to suggest is the case, they are a product of his mental fragility the whole tournament.

In any case, he lost in straight sets, got broken early in each one, and was never remotely competitive in the match for any sustained period. It'd take more than 6 straight set victories to turn that around.
 

guga_fan

Professional
Novak played this US Open with the same attitude that many of us have when watching him; win is inevitable and fitness is not an issue.

He stepped out on court each round like he dgaf about losing the opening set and would start trying when he felt like it. There was no sense of urgency to win quickly and he paid for it.
Although I agree about him not seeming to take some of his matches seriously (besides the Zverev match where he started playing well), I think also has much to do with lacking match practice. I remember that in the first rounds I was thinking his backhand had finally disappeared forever, and by the QFs it was his most steady shot again.
 

tudwell

G.O.A.T.
Medvedev had a cakewalk. For all the talk of Djokovic's easy draws this year, it's crickets on an actual cakewalk. You can only play who is in front of you but make no mistake it can make or break whether you can win a Slam. Next gen needed this to happen to break through imo and Medvedev took full advantage, as he should have. So the one Medvedev should thank the most is the draw committee. Lol
He did, but it was partly form-related as well. The way Med knifed through his own draw, he would have knifed through Novak's too up to the semis. Maybe a set dropped to Berrettini or something. If Daniil had played a tough five-setter against Zverev in the semis, I wouldn't love his chances in the final against a likely fresher Novak – but hey, that's just part of winning a slam. All the Big 3 have benefitted from an easier path to the final than their opponents.
 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
Novak played this US Open with the same attitude that many of us have when watching him; win is inevitable and fitness is not an issue.

He stepped out on court each round like he dgaf about losing the opening set and would start trying when he felt like it. There was no sense of urgency to win quickly and he paid for it.

It was more than that though. Nishikori, Brooksby, Berrettini and Zverev was just a barrier too much to plow through. Brooksby, in particular, played out of his skin. Nishikori played better than usual, Berretini pushed him hard for a set and then Zverev. Medvedev had a mug draw and then a choking Felix. It was perfect for him.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
But the issue is that some loons here want to argue it was all a mental issue with Djokovic or some sort of absurd tactical masterstroke by Medvedev.

He did, but it was partly form-related as well. The way Med knifed through his own draw, he would have knifed through Novak's too up to the semis. Maybe a set dropped to Berrettini or something. If Daniil had played a tough five-setter against Zverev in the semis, I wouldn't love his chances in the final against a likely fresher Novak – but hey, that's just part of winning a slam. All the Big 3 have benefitted from an easier path to the final than their opponents.
 

Sunny014

Legend
Nd Novak should than God that he is not born in 1981 or else today he would have been another Agassi with 8 slams because he would be sandwiched between peak Fed and the Teenage Cheetah on clay.
 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
He did, but it was partly form-related as well. The way Med knifed through his own draw, he would have knifed through Novak's too up to the semis. Maybe a set dropped to Berrettini or something. If Daniil had played a tough five-setter against Zverev in the semis, I wouldn't love his chances in the final against a likely fresher Novak – but hey, that's just part of winning a slam. All the Big 3 have benefitted from an easier path to the final than their opponents.

Djokovic still played well this tournament but came in with a month off so he had to play himself into form. Brooksby would have given Medvedev fits I think and Zverev. I even think Nishikori pushes him to 4. It's not even set in stone that he would have beaten Zverev. He got lucky and it happens. Djokovic got a little lucky with his draw in 2018 too, but unfortunately for him, he didn't get many easy draws at the USO.
 

tudwell

G.O.A.T.
But the issue is that some loons here want to argue it was all a mental issue with Djokovic or some sort of absurd tactical masterstroke by Medvedev.
I think there was a bit of all three. I'm sure the pressure Novak felt was enormous and he's been coming out on court tight as a button really since Wimbledon but especially here at the US. That tightness is part of why he was so depleted physically come the final. (He got breadsticked by Brooksby!) And Medvedev did come out with a clear game plan and executed it confidently – would it have been enough against a fresh, confident Novak? Maybe not, but that's why they play real matches and not our endless hypothetical discussions here on TTW.
 

jeroenn

Semi-Pro
There was very little chance Djokovic loses that match if he comes in reasonably fresh. When you are tired out from playing multiple tough 4 setters and a really tough 5 setter, there's no way you can give it your best in the final.

So what you're saying is that Fed in AO 2017 for example, was in better shape than Novak is now?
 

mavsman149

Hall of Fame
Medvedev played great and deserved to win.

If Djokovic should be upset at anyone it’s himself, he was in his own head and couldn’t handle the pressure.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
The infantile pressure hypothesis ... yet again. You can tell when someone knows no tennis. They reach for their pop psychology magazine articles.


Medvedev played great and deserved to win.

If Djokovic should be upset at anyone it’s himself, he was in his own head and couldn’t handle the pressure.
 

mavsman149

Hall of Fame
The infantile pressure hypothesis ... yet again. You can tell when someone knows no tennis. They reach for their pop psychology magazine articles.

If you don’t understand how pressure can affect performance you’ve never played sports competitively.
 

Purestriker

Legend
There was very little chance Djokovic loses that match if he comes in reasonably fresh. When you are tired out from playing multiple tough 4 setters and a really tough 5 setter, there's no way you can give it your best in the final. Zverev in particular destroyed his chances by taking him to 5 sets (Zverev after the match said he hoped Djokovic won the tournament - stupid comment to make after he destroyed his chances by tiring him out unnecessarily). You could see that Djokovic was physically gone at the start of the final. Medvedev almost certainly would not have beaten a physically fresh Djokovic.

Mark my words - if Djokovic and Medvedev meet at the AO and Djokovic is physically fresh, he beats Medvedev easily.
Well Novak has always performed better at AO and I expect him to win it again this year. But lets not take anything away from Danil. He didn't have any five setters because he crushed it. His movement was also incredible. Glad he finally broke through for one.
 

jga111

Hall of Fame
There was very little chance Djokovic loses that match if he comes in reasonably fresh. When you are tired out from playing multiple tough 4 setters and a really tough 5 setter, there's no way you can give it your best in the final. Zverev in particular destroyed his chances by taking him to 5 sets (Zverev after the match said he hoped Djokovic won the tournament - stupid comment to make after he destroyed his chances by tiring him out unnecessarily). You could see that Djokovic was physically gone at the start of the final. Medvedev almost certainly would not have beaten a physically fresh Djokovic.

Mark my words - if Djokovic and Medvedev meet at the AO and Djokovic is physically fresh, he beats Medvedev easily.

You were right that Djokovic was tired. But that was nothing to do with his previous matches. He was breathing hard in the interview just before he went on court. The weight of the occasion tired him out before he even started. And Medvedev never let him settle. It’s that simple
 

Robert C

Rookie
Though he also checked out mentally, absolutely choked at the prospect of CYGS.

This sort of comment is just really dumb - as though someone alternates between unbelievable mental toughness and absolute choking! If someone's game isn't there then the mental part is not going to help you at all. Nadal is amazing mentally as well but he has had periods of it not helping him at all if his game is off. Novak needs a rest - physically and mentally.
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Meh. Medvedev's draw was certainly easier, but Djokovic spent too much energy in matches he should have finished earlier. Med took care of the weak opponents quickly, while Djokovic did not.

If Djokovic had not played Olympics and played just Cincy or Canada, he would have entered the tournament in better form and maybe spend much less energy, his team was probably right in not wanting him there. But that's what they say about hindsight...

It's hard for Djokovic to pass up a chance to win the OSGM or at least any gold medal like Nadal, Federer and Murray have done. He has had so many failed opportunities there. Maybe in hindsight it wasn't wise for his schedule but it was the Olympics, and he just couldn't not go.
 
This sort of comment is just really dumb - as though someone alternates between unbelievable mental toughness and absolute choking! If someone's game isn't there then the mental part is not going to help you at all. Nadal is amazing mentally as well but he has had periods of it not helping him at all if his game is off. Novak needs a rest - physically and mentally.
Everyone has their moment of breaking. We're all pink on the inside.
 
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