5 instances when Novak Djokovic suffered unexpected early exits at Grand Slams
Novak Djokovic stands on the Mount Rushmore of tennis with 24-Grand Slam titles to his name, the most by any men’s player in the Open Era. He holds the privilege of being the only competitor in history to complete the Career Golden Masters by winning all ATP 1000 events introduced in the men's tennis calendar so far. The Serb's audacious numbers narrate a story of his talent at the highest level, his unwavering commitment to the sport, and his drive to be the best in the world.
Still going strong at the age of 36, Djokovic is the top draw in men’s tennis at the moment. Young and upcoming players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have had a tough time trying to dethrone him on the main tour.
The 36-year-old's resilience and ability to find a way out of tough in-game situations are second to none. However, even a top player like Djokovic has had his share of bad days on the tennis court. His losses have not only propelled him to increase his level but have also made him a complete player on the ATP tour.
On that note, let’s take a look at five instances when Djokovic suffered early exits at Grand Slam events and failed to make a significant impact.
5) Wimbledon Championships 2008: Marat Safin returns to haunt him in the second round
Novak Djokovic has an impeccable 89% success ratio at the Wimbledon Championships. He has reached nine finals at the prestigious venue so far, managing to lift the trophy on seven occasions.
In 2008, the Serb entered the Wimbledon Championships on the back of a maiden Grand Slam win at the Australian Open and a semifinal finish at the French Open. He began his campaign with a hard-fought win over Michael Berrer but couldn't make his mark against former World No. 1 Marat Safin.
Hoping to avenge his loss at the 2005 Australian Open, Djokovic couldn't match up to Safin’s experience and high tactical acumen. He went down in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2 in the second round.
The Serb has had the edge over most of his opponents when it comes to their head-to-head statistics, but he never opened his account against Marat Safin on the main tour.
4) French Open 2009: In form German Philipp Kohlschreiber stuns Novak Djokovic in striaght sets in the third round
In 2009, Novak Djokovic had been slowly rising up the ranks and blossoming into a serious contender. He reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2008 and ended the year on high by winning the ATP Masters Cup.
The Serb entered the French Open on the back of title-winning runs at the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Serbia Open. Hoping to challenge the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, in Paris, Djokovic began his campaign by cruising past Nicolas Lapentti and Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first two rounds.
However, his confident start was washed away by talented German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who stunned Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round in Paris.
3) Wimbledon Championships 2016: Big hitting American Sam Querrey stamps his authority
Novak Djokovic had an outstanding year in 2016, chalking up 65 wins from 74 matches and title-winning runs in Doha, Melbourne, Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Paris and Toronto. He also secured runner-up finishes at the Italian Open and the US Open.
The Serb failed to make any kind of impact during the grasscourt swing, though. He skipped all the build-up events leading to the Wimbledon Championships and registered an ordinary third-round exit at the All-England Club. Big serving American Sam Querrey overpowered him in four sets in London, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5).
2) Australian Open 2017: A rare five set loss in Melbourne
After a solid year in 2016, Novak Djokovic hoped to continue his purple patch in 2017. He made a flawless start to the new calendar year, lifting the title at the Qatar Open.
Djokovic built a formidable reputation for himself by coming up clutch against the best players in the world on numerous occasions. He has a 78% success ratio in best-of-five-set matches at Grand Slam events.
However, in 2017, he failed to outsmart former World No. 33 Denis Istomin in the second round of the Australian Open. Despite having a two-sets-to-one advantage over the tennis professional from Uzbekistan, Djokovic succumbed to a rare five-set loss in four-hours and 48 minutes 7-6(8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
1) US Open 2019: Shoulder injury halts his title defence in New York against Stan Wawrinka
Novak Djokovic was at the helm of the men's division in 2019. He successfully defended his crown at the Wimbledon Championships and geared up to stamp his authority yet again at the US Open.
The top seed began his title-defence at the Flushing Meadows, making light work of Roberto Carballes Baena. He then outfoxed the likes of Juan Ignacio Londero and Denis Kudla en route to the last 16, where he squared off against Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka.
The top seed had forgetful day at the office, as he couldn't ruffle Wawrinka's feathers and trailed the Swiss after the opening two sets. His match only got worse as he struggled to cope with a shoulder problem, despite consulting a physiotherapist and taking a medical time-out.
Eventually, the Serb was forced to throw in the towel and accept defeat in the fourth round. This was the sixth time Djokovic had ever retired from a match due to an injury problem at a Major event.