Novak Djokovic has his work cut out for him in his chase for a calendar Grand Slam and a record number of Grand Slam titles.
It may not be a picnic for the Serbian at the U.S. Open. The heat in early September in New York can be almost as stifling as the heat that smothered Djokovic in the Tokyo Olympics.
Is it time for a change of guard on the ATP Tour? Maybe.
Just because Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal won’t stand in Djokovic’s way at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center doesn’t mean that Djokovic will have an open court to Grand Slam title No. 21.
ZVEREV MAY BE TENNIS’ BEST PLAYER
After watching Alexander Zverev polish off Andrey Rublev with a dominant attack of near-perfect hard-court tennis in Sunday’s Cincinnati final after overcoming two breaks in the third set to turn back Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, the tall German looks like the best player in men’s tennis right now.
Of course, we haven’t seen much of Djokovic since his racket-throwing-smashing tantrum in Tokyo. Djokovic has been known for similar outbreaks throughout his career.
Djokovic didn’t suffer just another loss. This one was of great significance as it crushed Djokovic’s plan to make this a Golden Slam year with the crowns from the four majors and the Olympics in the same year.
CALENDAR GRAND SLAM IS PRECI0US
All that’s left is the Calendar Grand Slam. And that’s even more precious in tennis circles than a Golden Slam. Most tennis fans as usual probably didn’t pay much attention to the Olympics. Djokovic’s reaction to losing probably got more attention than tennis itself at the Olympics.
Djokovic has to win the U.S. Open to complete his dream of accomplishing something that hasn’t been accomplished since the great Rod Laver won two Calendar Grand Slams more than a half decade ago.
Djokovic appeared a little arrogant or self-centered after winning Wimbledon to move within one Grand Slam of breaking out of a 20-slam trio with Federer and Nadal.
“I’m not chasing anybody. I’m making my own path and my own journey, my own history,” Djokovic said.
OLYMPIC GOLD MADE ZVEREV A DIFFERENT PLAYER
Meanwhile, Zverev has finally blossomed at 24 years old. Winning the Olympic men’s singles gold medal has made all of the difference in the world to the super-talented Zverev.
Yes, Zverev can crash Djokovic’s party again, just as he did in the semifinals at the Olympics. Djokovic is riding a rare for him two-match losing streak after his flare-up in the bronze medal loss to Pablo Carreno Busta in Tokyo.
With newfound confidence, Zverev appears ready to win his first Grand Slam title.
No longer is Zverev looking for a reason to fall apart as he did in the 2020 U.S. Open final against Dominic Thiem. Zverev certainly doesn’t look as fragile as Djokovic did in his Olympic losses or Daniil Medvedec appeared in his run-in with a court camera in his semifinal loss to Rublev in Cincinnati.
A NEW FACE OF MEN’S TENNIS?
Zverev appears to be strong and in control these days. Not to mention powerful.
He seems to move about as well as Djokovic, maybe without the rubber-man look. Zverev consistently hits bigger and serves bigger than Djokovic. Those traits should enable Zverev to neutralize Djokovic’s consistency and court coverage.
Yes, it may finally be time for a new face of men’s tennis. Zverev would be a perfect fit with his 24-year-old movie star looks and bubbling personality. In short, he would be good for the game, especially with the sudden unpredictability of Federer and Nadal.
No one can replace Federer and Nadal for what they’ve done for the men’s game. The R&R Gang has been brilliant and loved by all.
James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award as the tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspapers. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com
