Novak Djokovic's top 5 comebacks from two sets down at Grand Slams
Novak Djokovic reached his 15th straight fourth-round match at the US Open on Friday night, but not before an almighty scare from compatriot Laslo Djere.
After a rather serene progress through the first two rounds - dropping just 11 games - the three-time champion almost met his match against his younger compatriot.
In the pair's second meeting - first on hardcourt and at a Grand Slam - Djere stunned the Arthur Ashe Stadium as he took an unlikely two-set lead. Djokovic, though, wasn't about to throw in the towel.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner broke his opponent four times in the next two sets - dropping just two games - to force a decider. Djere offered some resistance in the third - winning three games - but there was no stopping Djokovic.
A lone break sufficed as Djokovic won his 38th five-setter in 49 matches, winning from two sets down for the eighth time.
On that note, here's a look at Djokovic's top five comebacks from two sets down:
When Novak Djokovic reprised his iron man avatar
#5. 2005 Wimbledon 2R: Djokovic beats Guillermo Garcia Lopez 3-6, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4
A few weeks after turning 18, Novak Djokovic made his Wimbledon debut in 2005 after qualifying for the main draw.
After beating Juan Monaco in straight sets, the then 18-year-old found himself in trouble against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, dropping the first two sets. Even in his debut Wimbledon campaign, Djokovic wasn't going to throw in the towel, in what would be a portend of things to come.
The young Serb launched his comeback by taking the next two sets in tiebreaks. Novak Djokovic then took the fifth 6-4 to reach the third round, where he lost to Sebastian Grosjean in four sets.
#4. 2022 Wimbledon QF: Djokovic beats Jannik Sinner 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Novak Djokovic was not having the smoothest of Wimbledon campaigns, dropping four sets in the first four rounds. Things were about to get even more complicated.
The 36-year-old made an uncharacteristically poor start against Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. Leading 4-1 and with a break point for a double break, he dropped the first set 7-5. Djokovic then won just two games in the second as he seemed down and out.
And from there, the comeback would start. Djokovic laid seige on Sinner's serve early in the third, and the Grand Slam quarter-final debutant cracked. The Serb dropped only five games in the next two sets to restore parity.
It was more of the same in the fifth - with Novak Djokovic conceding two games - en route to winning a seventh Wimbledon title.
#3. 2015 Wimbledon 4R: Djokovic beats Kevin Anderson 6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
After reaching the second week without much hastle, Novak Djokovic faced his first real test against the big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
With Anderson winning the first two sets in tiebreaks, Djokovic needed to claw back form the brink, and he would do just that. The then World No. 1 responded by dropping just five games in the next two days when play was halted for the day due to bad light.
Djokovic returned the next day and struggled for serving fluency but dug deep to stay with his opponent. He made the move in the 11th game - with Anderson sending down two double faults to get broken. The Serb promptly served out victory before paying tribute to his opponent. He said:
"Kevin served exceptionally well. This was one of the most difficult matches I have played at Wimbledon in my career. It was high-quality tennis in the fifth set."
"At times, I was helpless with my return - it was very difficult to read his serve and he was very aggressive. I was two sets down and coming back to win gives me great satisfaction and confidence for my next challenge."
Novak Djokovic would go on to win his third Wimbledon title, beating Roger Federer in the final.
#2. 2011 US Open SF: Djokovic beat Roger Federer 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
Novak Djokovic met his arch-rival Roger Federer at the US Open for the fifth straight year.
A year after squandering two match points in the semis, Federer was determined to avoid a similar fate as he burst into a two-set lead. Djokovic wasn't going anywhere, though, taking the next two for the loss of five games as he went the distance with Federer in a Flushing Meadows semi-final for the second straight year.
Federer made his move at 4-3, breaking his opponent to serve for the match. He arrived at 40-15 ... two match points ... surely the Swiss would avenge the previous year's defeat?
However, Novak Djokovic said 'hold on' as he blasted a stunning winner to save the first match point before also saving the other. Two points later, he broke Federer, who knew not what struck him.
The Serb held serve to get to 5-5. A rattled Federer dropped serve again, and Djokovic promptly served out victory. Lightning struck the Swiss for the second time in two years as a Federer-Nadal US Open showdown came ever so close to materialising.
Novak Djokovic went on to beat Rafael Nadal to win his first US Open tiitle, avenging his defeat to the Spaniard in the previous year's final.
#1. 2021 Roland Garros final: Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Two days after becoming the first player to beat King of Clay Rafael Nadal twice at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic suffered from a hangover against first-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
After dropping a tight opening set in a tiebreak, Djokovic won just two games in the second as Tsitsipas threatened to play spoilsport in the Serb's bid to become the first player to win the double career Grand Slam.
No man since Gaston Gaudio in 2004 had won the Roland Garros final from two sets down. Djokovic was about to end that long wait. Digging deep, the Serb dropped five games in the next two sets to force a decider.
Tsitsipas hung on gamely, saving a break point to hold serve at the start of the fifth. Novak Djokovic, though, made his move in the next service game, and that would suffice. He converted his second championship point to create more tennis history.