The shockwaves from Novak Djokovic’s US Open exit continue to ripple through tennis, with former British No 1 Tim Henman offering a balanced view of what comes next.
Djokovic saw his US Open defence come to a shocking end against 28th seed Alexei Popyrin, as he lost 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round.
Defeat for Djokovic means it is the first time since 2017 that he has not won a major title and is his earliest exit at a major since the Australian Open that year and it ensures 2024 will be the first year since 2003 that Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal have not claimed a Grand Slam title.
Inevitably, there were suggestions that Djokovic’s defeat in New York could be the beginning of the end for the 37-year-old tennis icon, but Henman has dismissed the notion that we have seen the last of the Serbian great at the top of the game.
“He didn’t play very well and by his own admission, it was some of his worst tennis,” Henman told Sky Sports.
“The serve looked completely off, it didn’t have any rhythm. I think he served more double faults in that match than any other Grand Slam.
“If you don’t play well, you are going to come unstuck.
“He has such a busy time and challenges to overcome with the knee injury, but obviously the Olympics was his goal his year and winning goal.
“I was surprised by the performance because we are so used to seeing Djokovic produce masterclasses, but we said that this year with the French Open, Wimbledon, Olympics and US Open so close something had to give.
“It’s easy to focus on the physical demands, but it was the mental and emotional demands as well. Djokovic was flat out there, but this is not the last we have seen of him, for sure.”
What comes next for Djokovic is a debate that will unravel over the next few weeks with his next appearance on court due to come in Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against Greece.
After that, Djokovic will need to decide whether he will play in China and Japan as he chases points to qualify for the end-of-season ATP Finals.
“I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly, serving by far the worst ever,” said Djokovic after his loss against Popyrin.
“If you play on a quick surface like this without the serve, without the ability to win free points there, very low first-serve percentage, many double faults, then you can’t win.
“You can’t win, especially against the guys who are in form like Alexei who is serving big, puts a lot of pressure on your service game. It was just an awful match for me.”
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova echoed Henman’s comments, as she also spoke to Sky Sports.
“His goal for the year was to get the Olympic gold medal, and he got that done, so I’m not surprised he didn’t have the focus or that fire,” said Navratilova.
“It’s impossible to keep it going consistently. When you have a slight off day when you are older, it’s way worse than when you’re 25.
“Everything gets harder, takes longer. Recovery from training hard, recovery from injury. You want to train less but then you’re in worse shape.
“I just don’t see how he can stay motivated. If anybody can, it’s him, but he has got to play a little bit more than he has been playing. If he pulls back too much… you have to be match tough. You can’t practise that.”
