Novak Djokovic: 'I have played under medications and abnormal pain'

Novak Djokovic also fails the appointment with the minimum target and enters his name - together with that of other big players - in the black notebook of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic disappointments. After losing - squandering a set and a break advantage - the semifinal with Zverev, the world number one is mocked by Pablo Carreno Busta in the 'final' valid for the bronze medal. The Serbian, therefore, closes the Japanese parenthesis without medals around his neck and will resume the march towards the US Open where he is in the running for the Grand Slam with the tank emptied of confidence. The Spaniard enriches his palmares as an excellent player with an Olympic medal, while Nole does not succeed in the encore of 2008. The Olympic gold therefore remains a chimera for the Serbian champion. After three months of only victories, therefore, two knockouts arrive. consecutive for a Nole evidently far with his head and tennis from the best version of himself. After the gold of Rafa Nadal in Beijing 2008 and the silver of Arrese and Bruguera (1992 and 1996), Spain won the first bronze medal in the history of the Olympic singles tournament. In the first set Djokovic fails the break point both in the second and in the fourth game and, as often happens, is immediately punished by the Spaniard at 2-2. This is enough for Carreno to lead the lead to the end and pocket the first set 6-4. In the second set there is a domination of the services on the answers: for twelve games there are no breaks or even break points. We arrive, therefore, at the tie-break where Djokovic proudly cancels a matchpoint at 5-6 and stamps the 8-6 which forces the match to the decisive set. The danger he has just escaped, however, does not allow the Serbian to give a steering shot to the match, on the contrary: Nole fails a break point at the opening and immediately grants the advantage in the following game to the Spaniard. With a break, Carreno is impeccable in his service and only suffers in the last game of the match when Djokovic cancels 4 matchpoints before surrendering to 6-3 after almost 3 hours of play.

Djokovic won the first three Majors of the year

Shortly after his loss to Carreno Busta, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the mixed doubles event due to a shoulder injury, meaning he will be leaving Tokyo empty handed. Djokovic and Nina Stojanovic were scheduled to face Australia's Ashleigh Barty and John Peers in the bronze medal match. "I don’t regret coming to Olympics at all. I believe that there are no coincidences in life, everything happens for a reason," Djokovic added. "I had some heartbreaking losses at Olympics and big tournaments, and I know that those losses have usually made me stronger." The Serb said playing Grand Slams and representing his country in the Olympics, the ATP Cup and the Davis Cup motivates him to keep going. “Three years, not that far, but on the other hand it is, since I do not have 25 years anymore,” Djokovic said. “I do not see the finish line of my career. Olympics, Davis Cup, ATP Cup, and the Grand Slams, those are the tournaments that inspire me the most to go on. It is a privilege to play for Serbia, I want to play in Paris. If I am there, I hope to win a medal. My body said ’enough’: I have played under medications and abnormal pain and exhaustion. My heart is in the right place, because I know that I gave my all," Djokovic said. "I hope that the physical consequences won’t create a problem for me for the US Open. That is something I am not sure about right now, but there are no regrets, you have to give your all for your country," he added.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2WINM5Z