As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the US Open, we look back at the 50 champions who have left an indelible mark on this inimitable event.
Novak Djokovic’s game was tailor made for Flushing’s concrete floors. No one in the modern era has turned defense into offense – and into an art form – quite like the Serb, who has counterpunched his way to two US Open championships and an impressive seven finals.
Hard courts are, perhaps above all, about consistency, and Djokovic’s track record in that regard is downright remarkable. He reached the US Open semifinals or better for 10 consecutive years from 2007-16, the streak snapped not by his competition but by a balky elbow that kept him out of the 2017 event. In the Open era, only Jimmy Connors has advanced to more consecutive semis (12, from 1974-85), and this century, the only other man who has reached more than four consecutive Final Fours is Roger Federer, who rattled off eight in a row from 2004-11.
The US Open has also been the stage for some of Djokovic’s finest moments against his two primary rivals: Federer and Rafael Nadal. For five consecutive years, from 2007-11, Federer and Djokovic played in either the semifinals or the final, and they reprised their rivalry in the 2015 title match – that’s six matchups of all-time greats, including two five-setters and two four-setters – with three wins apiece for the two champions. Meantime, Nadal and Djokovic faced off in the final three times in four years – 2010, 2011 and 2013 – with the Spaniard winning twice and Djokovic winning once. All three matches, all slugfests, went four sets.
It is easy – and all too simplistic – to look at his five losses in the singles final and brand the US Open a disappointment for Djokovic. Yes, the five losses are tied with Ivan Lendl for the most in the Open era, trailing only Bill Johnston’s six (spanning 1916 to 1925) for the tournament mark. And yes, Djokovic clearly laments the missed opportunities to add to his 12 major crowns.
But the man with the metronomic ground strokes and body bends that defy physics also relishes the battle, the intensity and the grind that the US Open requires. There have been setbacks, certainly, but also two capstones to two brilliant seasons – 2011 and 2015, both of which saw Djokovic win three Grand Slam singles titles in a single year, with 2011 ending with the victory over Nadal and 2015 wrapping with the triumph over Federer. These were titles to remember, models of consistency – and also of excellence.
50 Fact: Djokovic sports a 62-10 record in Flushing Meadows. That .861 winning percentage is fourth-best in U.S. Championships/US Open history among men, behind only Bill Tilden (.910), Pete Sampras (.887) and Federer (.872). And the 62 wins are 10th all-time, just three behind John McEnroe for ninth place.
