NEW YORK — The rubber soles of his shoes squealed like the brakes of a subway car grinding to a halt as Novak Djokovic sprinted, hit, slid and violently changed direction on the hard court in Louis Armstrong Stadium. His grunts were magnified by the echo in the cavernous, nearly empty arena. Hearing his roar of triumph, children — had any been present among the roughly 200, socially distanced onlookers at this fan-free spectacle — might have cried.
Tennis is alive and well in New York. The unique soundtrack to a typical Djokovic match was a comforting score again Saturday as he defeated Milos Raonic in three sets to win the Western & Southern Open — the first official ATP event after the long hiatus triggered in mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament was relocated from its traditional home in Cincinnati, partly to serve as a safe tuneup for the US Open, which begins Monday in the same controlled environment.
Djokovic, who for a long time had expressed reservations about even taking part in this “double in the bubble,” appears to be tuned. As well he should be, given that he’s coming to New York with unfinished business to resolve, much but not all of it having to do with his legacy in tennis.
That adventure got underway in a fan-free Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday evening, with Djokovic outdueling Damir Dzumhur in a match that was more competitive than the 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 scores indicate. At times, he shouted and fumed, looking up to his box, his voice harsh and booming in the vast arena.
“It’s the intensity,” Djokovic said. “I care, and I play with intensity and try to bring a lot of energy to the court. Sometimes it’s not super positive but I try to recover from that.”
Djokovic, 33, came to Gotham the winner of 17 Grand Slam singles titles — third behind Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (19). Were it not for the pandemic, Djokovic might be competing in the coming days with a chance to draw even with Nadal. Wimbledon, where Djokovic is defending champion, was canceled altogether. The French Open was postponed and rescheduled for late September.
The pandemic has led many people, including tennis professionals, to step back and soberly reassess their single-mindedness, along with their priorities and goals. Not Djokovic.
“Obviously, things have changed from the standpoint of the way we are competing, the way we are restarting the season, no crowd in the stands, wearing masks all over the place,” Djokovic said a few days ago. “But from the perspective of Roger, Rafa, myself and our race, it hasn’t changed much. I mean, it’s only six months that have passed [since Djokovic claimed title 17 at the Australian Open].”
The top-ranked player had other good reasons to overcome his reluctance to compete in the Grand Slam event he has swept three times in eight finals, most recently in 2018. Last year, he abandoned his fourth-round match with Stan Wawrinka after losing the first two sets, citing an injured shoulder. Read More
