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Novak Djokovic held on with a winning serve early in the final set and broke Roger Federer in the second game to build the lead. Federer missed a routine forehand at the second point of game three and broke his racket to lose focus and patience.
Struggling to recover, Roger made a forehand error in Game 4 to find himself 4-0 down and suffered the fourth consecutive break to distance himself from a positive result. Federer closed the gap with a break in the fifth game, and Djokovic was at zero two games later to stay in front.
The Swiss added four winners at 2-5 to extend the match before the Serbian brought the ninth game home to celebrate the third win over Roger. "Roger was frustrated, but I think he can give a better answer. I tried to stay focused and bring the match home when I was in charge.
I was quite nervous in the first set and made a lot of mistakes despite hitting a lot of first serves. After that I changed my focus and played more patiently. The key game came at 3-2 in set number two. After that, I was the best player and I took my chances.
My return worked well and I forced him to take an extra shot, which was critical. We have played on this surface many times and there are no secrets between us. Roger didn't do much in the first set pushing my backhand and waiting for mistakes.
After that, I became more offensive and controlled the rallies with changes of pace in difficult conditions. Roger hides his emotions well, and I couldn't think about what he's feeling at that moment; he was concentrating on my game."
Djokovic had a magical year in 2021
World No.1 Novak Djokovic had a magical year in 2021.
He played the best tennis of his life this year and managed to win three Grand Slam titles before losing to Daniil Medvedev at the Flushing Meadows. He’s been an inspiration for many this season and even Billie Jean King used his example to motivate a group of young kids.
In a recent interaction with some young tennis stars, tennis legend, Billie Jean King, faced an intriguing question. She was asked what advice would she give to her 16-year-old self right now. Surprisingly, she took the reference of Djokovic while answering the question.
“If you listen to Novak Djokovic this year in his interviews, then you know why he’s No. 1 in the world—because he pays the price," King said. "He’s the most fit, he’s always looking for the edge, he trains right, he stretches all the time," she added. "So at 16 just believe in yourself, but pay the price”.