10 Grand Slam titles, 3 of them in 2015, 7th on the all-time Grand Slam titles list - Novak Djokovic has done very little wrong in the past year. A win in the final Slam of the year has capped off a super 2015 in the most fitting fashion.
Novak Djokovic won his 10th Grand Slam title and his third in 2015, capping off a remarkable year
Novak Djokovic spent the eve of the US
Open men's final watching the movie 300. Perhaps that was the perfect
preparation for the Serb to get battle ready. For what faced him at
Flushing Meadows on Sunday night was a vocally hostile crowd, a bloody
and bruising match and an unparalleled champion across the net.
Djokovic's US Open final against Roger Federer was no less than a mighty
battle. One that he won in fairly comprehensive fashion. (Novak Djokovic Beats Roger Federer To Win Second US Open Crown)
"When
you are kind of finding that inspiration, motivation, these are the
tournaments you dream of winning. It's been an incredible season. I'm
very fortunate to experience a great success this year," said Djokovic
after the final. (Greek Classic As Novak Djokovic Takes Inspiration From 300)
His
10th Grand Slam title puts the Serbian joint 7th on the list of Grand
Slam winners, though well behind the only two other active players on
tour - Federer and Rafael Nadal. (Novak Djokovic Eyes Higher Targets After 10th Grand Slam)
Though
a hard court giant, the US Open has been one of the Serbian's major
stumbling blocks, having lost 4 of 5 finals before this one. But then
2015 has been Djokovic's best year in recent memory. The 28 year old won
3 of the 4 Grand Slams this year, losing only the French Open to
Stanislas Wawrinka. He joined Federer & Rod Laver as the only men in
the Open era to reach all four major finals in a year. And he fell just
one win short of the first calendar Slam in men's tennis since Laver in
1969.
His achievements in 2015 have even drawn praise from one of
his biggest opponents, Roger Federer who said, "He's having an
unbelievable career. Clearly he can win many of them. He already has a
ton, so obviously he's got to stay healthy and hungry, but obviously you
would think he will win more after tonight."
Sunday's 4 set win
over 3 and a half hours saw Djokovic break the Swiss Maestro's serve six
times and save 19 of 23 break points on his serve. A display of talent
that prompted Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to say, "Djokovic is
like a shark. If he smells blood, he attacks."
He may be stamping
his authority on the tennis court but the same cannot be said of tennis
fans who haven't quite embraced Djokovic in the manner they have Federer
and Nadal, as evidenced by the highly partisan crowd in the US Open
final. Djokovic also still has some way to go before he can be counted
in the league of tennis greats.
However, with Rafael Nadal in rapid decline and Roger Federer a far cry from his heydays, the court is open for the taking.
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