Novak Djokovic's stunning journey from being 'mentally weaker' to 24-time Grand Slam champion
Novak Djokovic has shown he's the ultimate tennis champion after winning the US Open
REUTERS
Novak Djokovic's first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam final didn't exactly to go to plan.
The Serb stepped out at the US Open all the way back in 2007 with Roger Federer standing in his way of a maiden major.
Djokovic gave his all but, in the end, was easily swatted aside with Federer winning in straight sets to secure his 12th Grand Slam title.
Afterwards, Djokovic was honest. Brutally so. He acknowledged he had struggled to cope with the pressure - even admitting he had been 'weaker mentally'.
Novak Djokovic consoles Daniil Medvedev following his spectacular US Open triumph
REUTERS
"I was quite nervous, there was a lot of pressure and I knew that I have to make some shots," he said in the aftermath of that loss.
"Obviously that was a mistake and I just had to calm down and wait for my chances.
"I made a lot of first-shot unforced errors in that game, I think that was pretty crucial.
"I think I was weaker mentally on the important points and he was mentally stronger. So that was my mistake and my weakness today.
"It's normal, it's a bad day, in general looking at the whole US Open I've been performing really well. Today I had a lot of chances, I didn't use them."
Fast-forward to now and Djokovic has moved further away from Federer and ever closer to God-like status.
The 36-year-old was, somewhat bizarrely, written off by some prior to this year's US Open having narrowly lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of Wimbledon back in July.
Write him off at your peril, however. For this Djokovic is the finished article - and 'weaker mentally' no more.
Just months after losing to Federer, the tennis star bounced back to win the Australian Open.
However, failure to beat Rafael Nadal at the US Open in 2010 was what ultimately sparked him into becoming the juggernaut he is today.
After that match, Djokovic went on a roll - winning all four Grand Slams he played in.
That included the veteran winning three in 2011, with only the French Open evading him, as well as another Australian Open triumph in 2012.
In 2013, he once again reigned supreme Down Under. However, he'd proceed to lose his next three Grand Slam finals - including two losses to Nadal and one to Andy Murray.
No longer burdened by pressure and expectation, however, he then responded as only the very best do.
Djokovic won Wimbledon in 2014, the Australian Open less than six months later before proceeding to win four of his next five Grand Slam finals - with a defeat to Stan Wawrinka the only blot on his record.
Ever since losing to Wawrinka at Flushing Meadows in 2016, he's upped the ante once again to become a terrifying tennis titan.
When it comes to his last 14 Grand Slam finals, Djokovic has won 11 of them.
He remains prone to the odd upset, as his defeat to Alcaraz proves.
Yet he now sits clear at the top of the Grand Slam charts. Nobody can catch him now, certainly not Nadal - given his injury record - and the retired Federer.
What happens next will be intriguing. Daniil Medvedev, who lost to the Serb on Sunday, won't go away any time soon.
Neither will Alcaraz, who will be eager to bounce back when the Australian Open rolls around in January.
Yet while the next generation are bridging the gap, Djokovic remains on the opposite side out in front.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal can't stop Novak Djokovic now
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He is the best tennis player of all time, at least if the stats are anything to go by. Given is form in 2022, it's hard to see anybody catching him in the foreseeable future.