Why is Novak Djokovic so much better at Australian Open's hard court than at US Open's hard court?

[Ja_rapp]

Aussie Open last 2 rounds are at night while US Opens are in the middle of the day. I may be wrong but I don't remember Djoker ever playing Fed or Nadal during the day at the Aussie or at night at the US open which explains his records against them at those respective slams.

vs Nadal: Day matches favor Nadal which helps explain why he's never lost to Nadal at the Aussie but has a losing record at the US

Vs Federer: Day matches also favor Federer which helps explain why Fed did better against him at the US.

 

[clayqueen]

No, Djokovic is just luckier at the AO with Nadal injured there so often.

 

[Lauren_Girl']

No, Djokovic is just luckier at the AO with Nadal injured there so often.

Sure. We could see what a non-injured, fully fit, peaking (didn't drop a set before the final) Nadal could do in 2019. He won 8 games. But sure. And if Tsitsipas and Thiem weren't there to stop Nadal, I guess Djokovic wouldn't have won in 2020 and 2021 either.

 

[SonnyT]

No, Djokovic is just luckier at the AO with Nadal injured there so often.

Or Nadal dodged Djok so many times, both at AO and UO! BTW, they played once at each venue after '11!

Djok often ran out of energy at UO! The years he won at UO ('11, 15 and 18). '15 was preceded by 3 years of 1 slam each. '18 was the year he had the elbow surgery, so was only active from WB on.

 

[timnz]

Australian Open was still relatively fast compared to clay. So it could be classified as a medium-fast hard court, instead of very fast like the 90s. At the end of the day, the whole "fast", "medium", "slow" classification is a bit subjective. I think it's better to use the term "faster" or "slower". So you can say that AO was slower than the US Open but faster than the French Open.

But relative to the hard courts of the past the AO is a slow surface. I remember about 7 years ago Navratilova said it was comparable to clay

 

[Fabresque]

No, Djokovic is just luckier at the AO with Nadal injured there so often.

Was he injured in 2019 as well?

 

[chjtennis]

I don't think it's just fast conditions. Conditions at AO have been faster the last few years but the results of Djokovic's haven't changed much. I guess a lot depends on the circumstances of each time. Maybe Djokovic feels more comfortable being in Australia.

 

[Cortana]

Hasn't anybody asked this to Djokovic himself? I'm wondering what he is thinking.

 

[stosurforehand]

Lots of variables including luck (great luck in Australia, bad luck at the US Open). Another factor is the crowds like him in Australia and are atleast neutral to him overall, despite that they would always root for Federer or Nadal over him, even though it is far less extreme than other venues. While the US Open crowds don't like him and will always root for any opponent over him particularly Federer, Nadal, Murray, Wawrinka, any major underdog, or any American. Novak is a chip on his shoulder try hard, who is still bitter to this day he will never be as popular as Federer or even Nadal no matter what he achieves, so that gets to him.

 

[mr tonyz]

You cannot say luck is involved when the difference is 9-3 with 9-0 @ AO vs 3-6 @ USO in finals. We are 2 matches away from a 10-0 @ AO which will make the distribution look absolutely hideous for the HC g.o.a.t. It'll almost be a little Nadal-like in distribution actually.

You could say luck or lack thereof would play a part in a 1 or 2 slam difference. Anything from 3+ starts to resemble a pattern, & a pattern the we simply cannot ignore. This pattern looks to continue through to this Sunday.

Djoker needs to start bagging some more RGs or USOs as he's resume is absolutely stacked @ AO+Wimbly. Djoker puts Federer's insane AO/Wimbly combined record to shame & he has been unstoppable @ both since 2019.

 

[mr tonyz]

Was he injured in 2019 as well?

2012 & 2019 were clean losses for Nads.

 

[Tennfan123]

A lot less pressure. Djo couldn’t take the pressure in 2009-2010 when he was a slam winner and of age. And he can’t take it at USO. The USO is the premier HC slam. You need to be of Sampras and Federer HC strength to lead the board there.

 

[junior74]

Not a New Yorker

 

[Genie Of the Bank]

Simple, he is the best in the beginning of the season in Australia, in masters in Indian Wells and Miami . Rafa in clay season and Roger in grass Wimbledon-Hale.

 

[DSH]

Not a New Yorker

In the 'big apple' you can boo him.

 

[junior74]

In the 'big apple' you can boo him.

Not a fan of booing, unless a player really deserves it (which Novak does now and then).

He developed new mental skills in "the shadow" of Fedal.

 

[JasonZ]

You cannot say luck is involved when the difference is 9-3 with 9-0 @ AO vs 3-6 @ USO in finals. We are 2 matches away from a 10-0 @ AO which will make the distribution look absolutely hideous for the HC g.o.a.t. It'll almost be a little Nadal-like in distribution actually.

You could say luck or lack thereof would play a part in a 1 or 2 slam difference. Anything from 3+ starts to resemble a pattern, & a pattern the we simply cannot ignore. This pattern looks to continue through to this Sunday.

Djoker needs to start bagging some more RGs or USOs as he's resume is absolutely stacked @ AO+Wimbly. Djoker puts Federer's insane AO/Wimbly combined record to shame & he has been unstoppable @ both since 2019.

he is mentally much much stronger if the final is in wimbledon or australia, than us open. no idea why.

 

[mr tonyz]

he is mentally much much stronger if the final is in wimbledon or australia, than us open. no idea why.

I think a lot of us tend to find excuses when the best-of-the-best lose consistently within certain pockets of their respective sport. In Djoker's case, i don't believe that we must find something. I see it like this ...

In Australia & Wimbledon he is absolutely elite & @ The US Open he just is not as good, period. 3 is still great, but not for the g.o.a.t it is simply unacceptable. RG with Nadal it's fair & he's practically over-achieved there already with the double. Wimbly he's also over-achieved by a mile. Most Djoker fans here around 5+ years back would've been happy with 5/6 Wimbly Crowns. If they say otherwise now, don't believe them lol.

If he snags a third RG then the US Opens won't matter with the obtainment of the new acronym "TCGS"

 

[mr tonyz]

Simple, he is the best in the beginning of the season in Australia, in masters in Indian Wells and Miami . Rafa in clay season and Roger in grass Wimbledon-Hale.

Fed is the best @ The US Open out of The Big-3 & joint top in The Open Era with Sampras & Connors. But Sampras & Fred achieved all 5 on HC, so it's hard to really compare Fred & Sampras with Connors. I suppose the 5 consecutive from Fred makes for an awesome tie-breaker, that is just savage dominance over a 4 year period.

Definately need to add US Open to Freddy here.

 

[Genie Of the Bank]

Fed is the best @ The US Open out of The Big-3 & joint top in The Open Era with Sampras & Connors. But Sampras & Fred achieved all 5 on HC, so it's hard to really compare Fred & Sampras with Connors. I suppose the 5 consecutive from Fred makes for an awesome tie-breaker, that is just savage dominance over a 4 year period.

Definately need to add US Open to Freddy here.

True Fed is the best at US Open, just not as dominant as in Wimbledon and in Oz.

 

[Deleted member 629564]

Hasn't anybody asked this to Djokovic himself? I'm wondering what he is thinking.

Djokovic: I do not know, ask TTW.

 

[mr tonyz]

Post retirement Djoker should set a meet-up with Sampras over a nice coffee & they can discuss the polarity of their respective successes & failurs @ the AO/USO combo ...

 

[stosurforehand]

Post retirement Djoker should set a meet-up with Sampras over a nice coffee & they can discuss the polarity of their respective successes & failurs @ the AO/USO combo ...

Well Sampras it is much easier to figure out than Djokovic. Back then Australia was a true slow hard court and much slower than the US Open. Sampras on fast courts >>>>> Sampras on slow hard courts. Agassi on slow hard courts > Sampras on slow hard courts, when Agassi is fit and playing well, in fact. The end.

 

[jackson vile]

Don’t forget the ball used is possibly just as important as the court surface.

IMO Novak needs more time to setup and respond and that’s another reason he translates so well to clay. Anyone that can take time away from Novak is dangerous to him and a faster court/ball certainly helps to shorten that response ability.

More interestingly is the fact that Nadal doesn’t translate as well at AO as expected. As well as the fact that Federer performs better on clay than expected.