"A sleeping with my girlfriend kind of feeling" - When Novak Djokovic described his 'unbelievable' sensation of relief from scorching heat at US Open
Novak Djokovic once vividly described how it felt to get some relief from the scorching heat at the 2010 US Open. The Serb made these remarks after his narrow escape against Viktor Troicki in the opening round of the New York Major.
That year, Djokovic entered the US Open as the third seed, on the hunt for his maiden title at the New York Major. The Serb took on compatriot Troicki in his opening match, with the duo engaging in a closely contested battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Apart from the formidable challenge posed by Troicki, Djokovic also had to contend with the intense heat at Flushing Meadows, where the temperature soared to 109°F (42°C).
The third seed struggled in the sweltering conditions until he finally found some relief in the fifth set when the sun set, allowing him to claim a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory after a three-hour and 40-minute battle.
Speaking in his on-court interview, Novak Djokovic likened the relief he experienced when the sun went down to the feeling of "sleeping with his girlfriend."
"Oh my God, it was a sleeping with my girlfriend kind of feeling!" he said. "Somebody from the stands was keep on saying "Hold on and try to hang in there" and that's exactly what I did."
The Serb then elaborated on his comment during his post-match press conference, sharing that the relief he felt could only be compared to the "best feeling" of sleeping with a partner.
"I don't know. He asked me for the comparison of the feeling, what kind of feeling was it to feel the shade. The sun came down and I didn't have any more heat, what kind of feeling was it. It just came up to me. It's one of the best feelings, I guess, when you're sleeping with your close one. So I compare it to that," he said. "It felt unbelievable."
Novak Djokovic after 2010 US Open 1R win: "It was just very hot... You just have to try to be patient and wait for the shadows, like I did"
During the same press conference, Novak Djokovic lamented about the "very hot" conditions but acknowledged that all players had to endure the same challenge at the US Open. He emphasized that the only solution to the issue was to be patient and wait for the shadows, as he had done in his win over Viktor Troicki.
"Well, look, you know, it was very hot. It was just very hot. It's same for everybody. That's all basically I can say. You know, heat issue is something that, you know, it's just there. You cannot affect it. The weather is weather. You just have to try to be patient and wait for the shadows, like I did," he said in the press conference.
Despite the sweltering conditions, the Serb went on to reach the final of the New York Major, beating the likes of James Blake, Mardy Fish and Gael Monfils before triumping over second seed Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Djokovic fell short against top seed Rafael Nadal in the final, with the Spaniard claiming a commanding 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory to clinch his maiden US Open title and ninth Grand Slam title overall.