This is a story of schedules, sleep and victories, of how Novak Djokovic continues to be affected by jet lag — “I have never been so affected by jet lag” jet lag “Like on this trip, I don’t know what’s going on”—and how he doesn’t really like playing in the last round of the day. He loves the New York nightlife, he says, but not staying up late. “I don’t think my age (37 in his case) helps me stay up so late. Right now my battery is low, I’m turning off. I like to play at night, but when I start first. I hope that next time we can start and finish at a more decent time,” the Serbian reflected after easily resolving the opening match against Radu Albot (6-2, 6-2 and 6-4), while Alexander Zverev, almost two meters tall, theorized about the break after having resolved his opening match (6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 and 6-2 against Maximiliam Marterer) earlier in the day.
“Everyone knows that eleven in the morning is not my favourite time, but that’s how it is. We don’t know when we’re going to play, unless you’re number one or number two, or an American player, and you have some influence on the schedule. The fact is that there is a study, which I don’t know if it’s true or not, which shows that tall people need more sleep than short people. I (1.98m tall) sleep between nine and eleven hours, because otherwise I don’t function, I’m a zombie,” explains the German, who given his habits probably wouldn’t have seen Djokovic’s first appearance in the tournament, sealed two minutes before midnight. It wasn’t the most lucid performance of the Balkan, who nevertheless celebrated and celebrated, setting one record after another. The latest victory makes him the tennis player with the most victories (78) at the Arthur Ashe, as well as the player with the best percentage at the New York centre (87.6%) by surpassing the Swiss Roger Federer (87%).
The Belgrade native entered the court with two gold bags, recalling his recent Olympic success and after having paraded the gold through the tournament in the previous days during an exhibition. His records have always been impressive, here and there, wherever he is. He took over Australia without question, has the best average at Wimbledon – 89.3%, compared to 88.2% for the genius from Basel – and now he also rules the noisy stage of New York, where he faces another major challenge because, after all, he has not competed on cement since he lost in the second round of Indian Wells (March) against the Italian Luca Nardi. From then on, from that unexpected sting, only and exclusively clay and a parade through Wimbledon.
Specifically, its 2024 translates into a cutting course earthlingOf the 39 matches he has played, 20 have been on clay (51.2%) and only 12 (30.7%) on hard courts; three at the United Cup, seven in Australia, two in California and his first appearance at Flushing Meadows. At the end of March he began to train on clay and since then, only the green break in London because the Games took place on the original Roland Garros carpet. Now he must, therefore, change his mindset and readapt his automatisms; a task that is always complex, even though it is about him, also the best competitor in history on asphalt. Beyond the victory, the debut against Albot showed that he has to polish various aspects of his game to avoid another scare against his compatriot Laslo Djere, who last year led him to a five-set, almost four-hour debate in the second round, precisely, of the North American great.
Federer, Court… and Connors
“It’s always difficult to start, especially when you haven’t played on this surface for half a year. I hope to get better and my knee (he had surgery on June 5 for a torn right meniscus) is going well so far. Touch wood,” said the world number two, who on Monday made 40 unforced errors, committed 10 double faults and was only able to put 47% (a poor record) of his first serves into play. In any case, more than enough to win and add another notch to his record in the tournament. He now has 89 in total, the same as Federer, who is about to be left behind in this section. Djokovic goes on and on, tireless and determined. Eternal now. Nothing seems to stop him, neither the damage suffered in his joint nor the passage of time; inexorable with everyone, of course, but perhaps a little less so with that body that he has taken such great care of.
“I was lucky to be surrounded by people who shared advice with me from a very early age. Prevention equals longevity,” he reasons, a visionary in terms of nutrition and preparation. “The stretching, the warm-up, everything I did at that time comes back now. The body is one part, the mental aspect too, you have to find balance. I still enjoy competition, I am very critical of myself, sometimes I feel very frustrated, but in the end this sport has given me a lot. Giving 100% on the track is my way of giving back to this sport,” adds Nole, who sees three more than suggestive objectives on the horizon.
If he wins the title for the fifth time in Flushing Meadows, he would equal the modern record holders (Connors, Sampras and Federer) and, above all, he would leave behind the Australian Margaret Court, with whom he equals the historical record of greats. But there is a third motivation. In addition to achieving his 100th trophy, a round and symbolic figure that only two male players have been able to achieve until now, Federer (103) and Connors (109), he would close the gap on the latter. The name of the American is engraved in his mind and represents another issue to be resolved by him. Djokovic is working on it, his eyelids are heavier than usual these days and he wants to go to bed relatively early to continue dreaming about figures and records.
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