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22-Time Doubles Grand Slam Champion Slams Journalist for Absurd Remarks on Novak Djokovic After US Open 2021 Loss

Published 09/15/2021, 11:49 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

World No. 1  Novak Djokovic has been in sensational form this season. The Serb has managed to win three Grand Slam titles and reached the final of the fourth. However, he lost to Medvedev in the final Grand Slam event of the season, the US Open 2021. 

Recently, former doubles champion Todd Woodbridge reflected on the match and sympathized with Novak Djokovic. He even blasted a journalist for stating that the Serb choked and due to that he was unable to win the match. 

USA Today via Reuters

The 22-time Grand Slam winner stated, “Are you kidding me? This was an epic achievement. Did he play his best in the final? No, he didn’t. But there are reasons for that that go beyond choking. He had to go back-to-back-to-back against the three next best players in the world, Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Zverev, and then Medvedev.”

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Certain journalists were too hard on Novak Djokovic for loss 

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The former Australian player felt that if a player wins 28 matches in a row at the Grand Slam events, they did not lose a single match because they choked. And anyone who would suggest so has no idea as to what are the requirements of an athlete.  

USA Today via Reuters

The 50-year-old added, “The enormity of the task made it such a difficult proposition. It riles me to think that a journalist would suggest he choked. If that’s what they think, they have no idea of what is required by the athlete. You have to win 28 matches in a row to win the Grand Slam, and he didn’t fall short because he choked, he fell short because of the hurdles that were placed in front of him to achieve something so incredible.”

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At the moment, Djokovic is back home in Serbia after his US Open stint. We wish him the very best for the rest of the season and for the many more years to come.

Watch this story:  Top Seeds Naomi Osaka, John Isner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Others Who Faced Huge Upsets at US Open

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Written by:

Rohan Kollare

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Rohan Kollare is a tennis author for EssentiallySports. Rohan has a post-graduate diploma in Sports Management and a trophy cabinet adorned with accolades won in district and state-level tennis competitions. He has previously worked in Content Operations for Disney’s Hotstar for over a year, covering tennis and Formula One.
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