Novak Djokovic looked out of sorts. His third-round opponent, fellow Serb and Davis Cup teammate Laslo Djere had him on the run. Arguably the greatest return game in tennis history had been rendered vulnerable; perhaps the greatest player the sport has ever known left listless, energy-starved.
Before he knew it, the three-time US Open titlist was in a two-sets-to-love hole, the capacity crowd of 24,000-plus Arthur Ashe Stadium late-nighters aghast, sure they were witnessing the most epic of upsets.
We should have known better.
Djokovic, of course, would dig deep into the reserves, fighting his way back to pull off a 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 escape act, a three-hour, 45-minute saga that began on a Friday and ended on a Saturday, sending the stunned ticket-holders scrambling for the 7 Flushing Local subway train at 1:30 a.m. local time.
Djokovic’s newest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, told USOpen.org that he went to sleep after the second set, yet never doubted the outcome.
“I was thinking Novak is going to come back, that’s for sure,” said the top seed and defending US Open champion. “He shows once again that he’s one of the best in history. To be 36 years old and doing the same things that he was when he was 20, it’s incredible. It’s something I admire.”
“I think the message is sent to the rest of the field that, obviously, I’m still able to play five sets deep at night,” cautioned Djokovic. “Coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to the future opponents.”
Those kinds of physically-punishing comebacks can prove costly at the majors. But for Djokovic, it has often served as motivation. In fact, he has turned 0-2 deficits into five-set victories seven times now at the Grand Slam level. On four of those occasions, he’s gone on to win the trophy. We look back at those epic turnarounds.
2022 | Wimbledon Quarterfinals
Djokovic def. Jannik Sinner, 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
- Twenty-year-old Jannik Sinner, appearing in his third career major quarterfinal, his first on the lawns of the All England Club, sees his forehand all but abandon him in the latter stages of this three-hour, 35-minute battle (the Italian would finish with 41 unforced errors). After losing the first two sets, the top-seeded Djokovic rallies to win 12 of the next 17 games to steal the momentum. Some soul-searching in a bathroom mirror during a toilet break between the second and third sets proves pivotal: “It was just a pep talk,” says Djokovic. “As negative and down you feel on yourself in those moments, even though as fake as it looks or sounds to you, it really gives you an effect and support if you are trying to find the right and positive affirmations and tell it to yourself and kind of reanimate yourself in a way.” Four days later, Djokovic would deny an upset bid from first-time Slam finalist Nick Kyrgios, winning, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3), for his fourth straight Wimbledon trophy.
2021 | Roland Garros Final
Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
- Perhaps taxed by his four-and-a-half-hour, four-set dismissal of All-Time Clay King Rafael Nadal in the semis, Djokovic finds himself on the verge of defeat, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough at the majors. But the 34-year-old hangs in there. He takes control of the match for good by breaking Tsitsipas in the second game of the fifth set, and is soon halfway to the calendar-year Grand Slam. He’s the first man in the Open Era to have won all four of the majors multiple times. “I am thrilled and I’m very proud of this achievement,” the Serb says. “Probably ranks at the top three all-time achievements and experiences that I had in my professional tennis career.”
2015 | Wimbledon Round of 16
Djokovic def. Kevin Anderson, 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
- Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson uses his weapon of choice to secure a two-set advantage in consecutive tiebreaks in this rain-delayed semifinal (he would smack 40 aces in all). The top seed/world No. 1 finally gets his teeth into the match to level the festivities at 2-all when poor light leaves officials with no other choice but to resume the contest the following day. In the high-quality fifth set, Djokovic holds his nerve to prevail. He would call the match “one of the most difficult in my Wimbledon career,” adding, “I was hanging in there. I was just trying, even though I was two sets down, to stay calm and mentally strong. I believed I could come back, which I did.” He goes on to make it back-to-back Wimbledon titles with a 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3 over career-long foe Roger Federer in the final. By year’s end, his tally would stand at an astounding 82-6.
2011 | US Open Semifinals
Djokovic def. Roger Federer, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
- Facing two match points against five-time champion Roger Federer, Djokovic fights off both to advance. With the Swiss serving at 5-3, 40-15 in the fifth, Djokovic takes a massive, go-for-broke hack on his return, hammering a clean crosscourt winner. It’s perhaps the greatest shot in tournament history. If not, it’s certainly the most risky. Federer dumps a forehand into the net on his second match point. “If you’re playing somebody like Roger, you have to take your chances when they’re presented, otherwise you’re losing a match,” Djokovic says. “I had to take my chances. I was very close to being on my way back home.” It marks the second straight year in which Djokovic erases a pair of match points against his longtime nemesis. The top seed’s first US Open title later comes at the expense of defending champion Rafael Nadal in a four-hour, four-set final, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1.
