A defiant Novak Djokovic is refusing to be disheartened about his US Open final loss to Stan Wawrinka as he looks ahead to the upcoming Asian Swing.
The world No.1, who was blighted by a pain in his foot due to his toe problems, was no match for a supreme Wawrinka in the New York final as the Swiss player triumphantly rallied to a four-sets win. The encounter was one of frustration for Djokovic as he failed to capitalise on his break point chances on 14 out of 17 occasions.
“I just didn’t capitalize at all on my opportunities. I had plenty of break points. It was a terrible conversion of the break points. Just terrible from my side.” Djokovic said.
“In matches like this, if you don’t use the opportunities, the other guy comes and takes it. And that’s what he (Wawrinka) did.
“That’s why I said he was more courageous, because he stepped in and played aggressive where I was kind of more waiting for things to happen.”
Playing in grand slam finals is a regular task of the 29-year-old with this year’s US Open being his 21st compared to Wawrinka’s third. Despite boasting the greater experience in the match, Djokovic candidly admitted that part of his downfall was due to his faltering mentality, which is normally a gift for him in matches.
“I lost my nerves in the important moments. He kept his cool. I think that’s what decided the match.” The world No.1 concluded.
Sunday’s disappointment completes what has been a roller coaster summer for the Serbian. Since his shock third round exit at the Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic has enjoyed jubilation in Toronto by winning the Canadian Masters and agony in Rio with his first round Olympic exit to Juan Martin del Potro. On top of this, he has also been hampered by a wrist injury that at one point put his US Open attendance in jeopardy.
“There is a lot to learn. Life is a big lesson. It’s a big book. You know, we keep writing the stories. There is another story to be written.” He said about his 2016 summer campaign.
“Of course, the end of this story is the US Open. I wish that it was a bit different, but again, I think we learn much more from the losses like this than from wins. Because when you’re winning, everything is fine and you maybe shadow certain things that are relevant for you to face and to tackle and to work on.”
There will be little time for Djokovic to rest as the upcoming Asian swing of the tour approaches. He will be hoping for further success in China after winning the China Open and Shanghai Masters last year. Looking ahead to the upcoming challenges, Djokovic is confident that his recent injury woes will not stand in the way of his plans.
“I sincerely doubt that this is going to prevent me from playing there. I think I’m going to be ready.” He confidently said about playing in Asia.
Djokovic’s next tournament is expected to be the China Open, which will get underway on October 3rd.
