Novak in tears after loss
Print Edition
NOVAK Djokovic shook his head and placed his palm over welling eyes on his way to the locker room after a first-round Olympic exit, devastated he might never realize his goal of adding a gold in singles to a substantial collection of grand slam titles.
“I mean, no doubt, it’s one of the toughest losses in my life, in my career,” he said later, shaking his head and speaking in subdued tones. “Not easy to handle.”
The Serb was hardly alone in his disappointment on Day 2 of the Rio de Janeiro Games: He was one of three No. 1 seeds to exit in a wild span of 12 hours.
Djokovic’s 6-7 (4), 6-7 (2) setback on Sunday night was caused in large part by ferocious forehand after ferocious forehand from a resurgent Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. That surprising result followed losses by the top-seeded duos of Serena and Venus Williams of the United States — who entered their match with a 15-0 Olympic record and three gold medals as a pair — in women’s doubles, and Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France in men’s doubles.
Sunday began with 25 mph winds that delayed the start of play on eight of Rio’s nine tennis courts for about 2 hours, and then came so many startling outcomes.
None was more significant than 2009 US Open titlist del Potro’s victory over 12-time major champion and No. 1-ranked Djokovic in a thriller before a raucous crowd. The match concluded with both men, who are friends, wiping away tears after a long, warm embrace at the net.
Del Potro has dealt with three operations to his left wrist that kept him off the grand slam circuit for 2-1/2 years, until Wimbledon last month.
Djokovic had won seven of their eight most recent meetings, and 11 of 14 overall, before Sunday. But this is the second time that del Potro came out ahead at an Olympics: He beat Djokovic to take the bronze medal in London four years ago.
Representing Serbia means a lot to Djokovic, who led his country to a Davis Cup title and carried its flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games. He did earn a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There is still a shot at gold in doubles in Rio — he and Nenad Zimonjic are into the second round — but as for singles, Djokovic will be 33 by the time Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics.
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