Novak Djokovic Says he Regrets Not Winning This Year’s U.S. Open or the Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019
Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019. Photo by Ella Ling/BPI/Shutterstock (10334028ag)

Following his win at the Australian Open and 18-matches unbeaten streak to start the year, Novak Djokovic seemed poised for a dominant run in 2020. But things didn’t work out that way for the world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player.

First, the coronavirus outbreak caused chaos in tennis, resulting in the cancelation of Wimbledon, where Djokovic would have been the overwhelming favorite. The 33-year-old Serbian was then defaulted from U.S. Open for hitting a line judge with the ball while falling in the French Open finals to Rafael Nadal.

Speaking with reporters about how 2020 unfolded for him, Djokovic said that he “regrets” he didn’t manage to pick up at least one more Grand Slam.

“There is a lingering regret that I didn’t win either the U.S. Open or the Roland Garros this year,” said Djokovic. “I was in outstanding form at both events but having reached the French Open final, I was beaten by a player who was much better on the day.”

Another Grand Slam win would get Novak Djokovic closer to his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic currently has 17 titles, compared to Federer and Nadal’s 20. 

There is pressure on Djokovic to surpass this number if he wants to get into consideration for the greatest player of all time. It is something he acknowledges but doesn’t feel overwhelmed with. 

“Pressure has been a part of my life for a long time, and I’ve learned how to deal with it,” Djokovic explained. “If I retired now, I’d be happy with everything I have achieved, but I still enjoy competing, and every tournament I enter gives me so much motivation and joy.”