Novak Djokovic issues brutally honest 2024 season verdict after losing to Jannik Sinner in Shanghai
Novak Djokovic delivered an honest appraisal of his 2024 season after his defeat to world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion credited Sinner for how well he performed on the big points as he assessed that this was the decisive factor in the match.
Djokovic was beaten 7-6(4), 6-3 by the two-time major winner as he suffered his first loss in a championship match in Shanghai, where he is a record four-time champion.
The great Serbian won more points than Sinner in a serve-dominated opening set featuring no break points, but he was outplayed by the Italian star in the tiebreak.
The 37-year-old legend’s level dropped in the second set and he was punished in the fourth game when Sinner crucially earned the only break of the final.
Sinner was ruthless in closing out the win, while Djokovic was unable to create a single break point on his 23-year-old rival’s serve in the match.
ATP News
In his press conference, Djokovic admitted he did not feel fully fresh in the final, but he was encouraged by how he competed with Sinner.
“Well, I think there’s quite a few positives that I can take,” Djokovic said.
“First of all, I think the level of my tennis was really good this tournament, probably best after Olympic games in terms of how I played, how I performed, how I fought.
“I did my best tonight. Under the circumstances, you know, I felt maybe not a hundred percent fresh, but at the same time, big credit to Jannik for playing the big points better than me, and that’s what made the difference.
“He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments. But, nevertheless, I still think that even in the finals today, I played pretty good, so, which, you know, gives me, I guess, reason to believe that I can still play with these guys that are best in the world at this level.
“Hopefully I can maintain that level in the upcoming months, and also for the future.”
The world No 4, who won his only title so far this year at the Paris Olympics, admitted 2024 has been one of his worst campaigns.
“Well, I mean, comparing to most of my seasons throughout my career, this has been one of the worst-performing seasons in terms of results,” Djokovic assessed.
“But, you know, it was going to come at some point where, you know, I wouldn’t win Slams and maintain that highest level for so many years in a row.
“And that’s okay, I’m happy with my gold medal from Olympics. That was the main goal for this year. And, you know, of course I wish that I could have gotten at least a Grand Slam title or won big title, but it’s fine, you know, it is what it is.
“It’s a kind of a season that you just have to accept, embrace, and I’m more than happy with what I have achieved throughout my career, so I’ll just, yeah, see what next challenges bring to me.”
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