Losing is hardly unfamiliar territory for a tennis player, even for one who has spent two decades redefining what success means. That said, Novak Djokovic’s latest Grand Slam defeat was far from typical. Against Mariano Navone in the first round of the United States Open, he appeared to no longer be capable of getting his body to produce what his mind demanded. After four hours and 36 minutes, his campaign for a record 25th major title met a shocking demise, and with it ended a remarkable streak: He had not bowed out in the opening round of any of the sport’s premier stops since the 2006 Australian Open. At 39, he seemed to have finally succumbed to an opponent he had spent his entire career holding at bay: time.
The result was unnerving in part because Djokovic had built his reputation on surviving precisely this type of contest. Physical discomfort, however extreme, had rarely been sufficient to keep him from finding another level when the stakes demanded it. This time, however, the corporeal concerns became too substantial to overcome. He vomited during the match, struggled with cramping, and received medical attention as back and shoulder ailments compounded his difficulties. He managed to take the second and third sets after dropping the first, and was even a break ahead in the fourth. But his trademark resiliency could not keep pace with the deterioration of his body. By the fifth set, there was little left. And perhaps for the first time in his storied career, he struggled to survive.
Make no mistake. Djokovic’s travails should not diminish what Navone accomplished. The Argentine, ranked 49th in the world, had to deal with the considerable psychological burden of facing the all-time great on Arthur Ashe Stadium. He had to keep playing while the greatest competitor in the annals of men’s tennis stood on the other side of the net, and he had to remain composed after surrendering the second and third sets. Regardless of the score, he continued to make his vaunted opponent work, and when the latter finally ran out of any reserve, he took full advantage. His victory was the biggest of his career, but likewise a reminder that the changing of the guard in the sport does not always happen with a spectacular young champion. Sometimes it is spurred on by a hitherto unheralded competitor.
What makes the defeat more consequential is Djokovic’s own uncertainty afterward. He acknowledged that he had been dealing with the same physical problem throughout the season and did not know whether it could be fixed. More strikingly, he admitted that he had despised just about every moment of the match because of how poorly he felt. Those are not the words of a proud titan merely disappointed by an early exit. They suggest a vulnerable veteran confronting a question that has become increasingly difficult to avoid. He may still possess the game to stand toe to toe with the best, but Grand Slam tennis goes far beyond brilliance in short stretches. It requires the ability to recover and endure for an entire fortnight. In his case, the issue is no longer whether he can still play top-level tennis; it is whether his body can sustain the brilliance.
Still, there is no reason to declare the end of Djokovic’s career after one defeat. His record remains extraordinary: 24 Grand Slam titles, four US Open championships, and a longevity that may never be replicated. All the same, careers, even the singular ones, rarely end with an announcement. They gradually become defined by moments when the athlete realizes that meeting standards he himself set to become first among equals now carry a price. He spent much of his career challenging the limits of endurance and making age appear irrelevant. For two decades, he made those on the other side of the net believe that there was always another gear he could summon. At the US Open the other day, he discovered that there are some limits even he cannot overcome.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.