Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev: Who has had a more disappointing 2022 season?
Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev competed in an eventful semi-final at the Astana Open on Saturday and the Russian player's abrupt retirement just before the deciding set made headlines. Djokovic's winning percentage this season has improved to over 84% after the win, while Medvedev's winning percentage stands at just over 72%.
Most players on tour can boast of a 'stellar season' with such win-loss numbers, but it can be argued that Djokovic and Medvedev have had disappointing seasons by their lofty standards. Moreover, their seasons have been hit by separate off-court controversies that have left a sour taste for both players.
Last season, the two players competed against each other in two of the four Grand Slam finals, shared all four Grand Slam titles, and won a combined nine titles on tour. They were at the top of the list of most predictions for players who would dominate the 2022 men's tour, but things went down a lot differently than expected for both of them.
Novak Djokovic's 2022 season will go down in the history books, but not for all the right reasons
It would probably be an understatement to say that the Serbian tennis legend was dominant in the 2021 season. He played in all four Major finals, came within just one win of the Calendar Grand Slam, and won 55 of his 62 matches all year. However, 2022 has not been entirely kind to Djokovic.
The Serb's year started with a huge controversy ahead of the Australian Open, which eventually saw him being deported from the country, as he maintained his stubborn stance against coronavirus vaccination. He thus missed a chance to win his 10th Australian Open title. He also missed the hardcourt swing in the United States in the first quarter of the year as well as the entirety of the American hardcourt swing in August-September, including the US Open, due to another vaccine-related controversy.
The 35-year-old has played just a little over 50% of the matches he played in 2021, in the 2022 season.
While Djokovic's 2022 season will be remembered more for the tournaments he missed and the numerous controversies, he did have some positive moments. Of his only two Grand Slam appearances this season, he clinched the Wimbledon title to win his 21st Grand Slam title and close the gap on Rafael Nadal in the all-time race.
He also won the Italian Open in May and the Tel Aviv Open last week, and has a great chance to win his fourth title this year on Sunday as he faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Astana Open final.
World No. 1 amid Australian Open heartbreak and Wimbledon controversy for Daniil Medvedev in 2022
Daniil Medvedev carried the momentum from winning his maiden Grand Slam title at last year's US Open to the Australian Open to start his 2022 season. A force to reckon with, Medvedev came ever so close to winning the Australian Open before Rafael Nadal dramatically turned things around in the final from two sets and three break points down.
Medvedev lost two other finals (Halle and 's-Hertogenbosch) that he should have won before finally winning the Los Cabos Open in August, his only title so far in 2022. He was also not allowed to compete at Wimbledon in light of the LTA's ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players after Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
Amidst the disappointment, the 26-year-old achieved one of the biggest feats of his career so far by earning the World No. 1 ranking for the first time.
The thrill of the No. 1 ranking did not last long as he was unable to defend his US Open title and also lost the top spot. While Medvedev has won many more matches than he has lost this year, he hasn't been able to live up to his billing after the highs of 2021.
While both their seasons have been far off from what they would have hoped for, Djokovic can still boast of a Grand Slam title, his seventh at Wimbledon, to go with a couple more titles. Meanwhile, Medvedev would have expected a lot more from himself in 2022 in his bid to truly stamp his authority on tour.
At the same time, both Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev still have a chance to end their seasons on a high.