Is Novak Djokovic Burning Out?

The two high-profile defeats have punctured the all-conquering aura surrounding the serb. Now the tennis world is searching for the possible reasons of his recent failures.

- Niji Ng

Glory in sports is a fleeting mistress. One moment it is there – the next, it vanishes. Novak Djokovic, at a rather young age of 29, seems to be experiencing this harsh reality about sporting success. He is still the best tennis player in the planet. That in itself is a huge honor, considering the fact that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are still playing. However, he has lost his aura of invincibility. He is no longer a super human tennis player. The job can be done, his opponents are now confident.

WHAT HAPPENED?

A couple of defeats are all that happened. First, he lost to Sam Querrey of the USA in the fourth round of the Wimbledon. Djokovic won the Australian Open and the French Open of 2016. He won the Wimbledon and US Open in 2015 too. When he entered the Wimbledon championship, he was holding all four grand slams – albeit in different years. He was on a quest to win the coveted calendar grand slam. No man has won it since Rod Laver did it in 1969. If anybody could do it, it was Djokovic. Thus went the argument.

The argument lasted only till the fourth round of the Wimbledon. Querrey was never known for any giant-killing feats in tennis. His moment under the sun came in the fourth round of the Wimbledon, which put a shade of darkness in the Djokovic’s confidence. Djokovic was gracious in defeat. He praised Querrey and never really discussed the reasons for the defeat with the media: “Congratulations to Sam, he played a terrific match. He served very well, as he usually does. That part of his game was brutal today. Well done, he overpowered me.”