5 Novak Djokovic losses that felt like a win ft. 2012 US Open final against Andy Murray

Novak Djokovic, over his two-decade-long career, has time and again justified his status as the GOAT of tennis. Be it the record of holding the maximum number of men's Grand Slams (24) and that of the highest number of weeks ranked No. 1 in tennis, at present, Djokovic has carved a niche for himself that seems quite hard to be matched in the near future.

Be it Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz, or Daniil Medvedev, each one of his contemporaries recognize, respect and admire the kind of challenge and perfection in terms of the game that he brings to the court.

In addition to the aforementioned accolades that the Serb has to his name, he also holds the maximum number of ATP 1000 Masters titles (40) and Australian Open victories (10).

Since his breakthrough in the international tennis circuit in the 2000s and his reign over the last 14 years, the Serb has seen many highs and lows on and off the court including some bittersweet losses that despite his inability to win translated to memorable matches.

In continuation of the same, here are a few Novak Djokovic losses that felt like a victory:

#5 2009 Mutua Madrid Open Semifinal

It was during the dawn of their rivalry that Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played one of the most memorable matches in Madrid, one that has been hailed as the best encounter in the history of the tournament. Nadal defeated Djokovic in an intense 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9) clash that lasted 4 hours and 3 minutes, the longest one in the history of the ATP Masters 1000s.

The scoreline and the longevity of the match are a testament to the kind of tennis that the two GOATs of tennis brought to the court.

While the Spaniard did manage to get the better of the Serb, Djokovic won more match points that day and earned himself three match points in the final tiebreaker.

Hence, even though it was Nadal who won the match, it is perhaps the beginning of the iconic Djokovic-Nadal rivalry that can be termed as the actual winner for introducing the world to the combination of Djokovic’s skills with Nadal’s finesse.

#4 2014 Australian Open Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic was a three-time defending champion at the 2014 Australian Open when the eventual winner of the tournament, Stan Wawrinka, defeated the Serb 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.

While the defeat came as a shock to everyone, the Serb’s dominance in Melbourne was felt till the very end including a crowd that favored Djokovic and looked forward to the continuation of his 25-match winning streak in his most favorable tournament.

Wawrinka went on to win his first Major career title and also became the first man in two decades to beat both the World No. 1 and the World No. 2. Additionally, as for the match against the Serb, he considered it to be a major "mental breakthrough".

Speaking about his victory against Djokovic following a range of defeats the previous year, the Swiss said (via The Guardian):

"But last year I took a lot of confidence from those matches with Novak. They were really close, and I was playing well. I came on court knowing that if I play my best game, I will have a chance against him.”

Novak Djokovic at the 2014 Australian Open Quarterfinal against Stanislas Wawrinka

#3 2023 Wimbledon Final

In an extremely memorable encounter in the Open Era, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win his maiden Wimbledon title and second overall Major title.

In a thrilling five-set encounter that lasted four hours and 42 minutes, Alcaraz became the first man not in the Big Four to win the Championship. However, the current World No. 2 faced a tough fight from the Serb, including a 2 set loss and an intense tiebreaker.

The fight that Djokovic brings to the court accompanied by the unbeaten records associated with his name translates to a victory in itself, something that his opponent Alcaraz, despite beating the Serb, acknowledged and spoke about (via Wimbledon):

"I said before, it’s great to win but even if I had lost, I would be really proud of myself, making history in this beautiful tournament, playing against a legend of our sport. For me, it’s incredible."

#2 2013 French Open Semifinal

After winning his third consecutive Australian Open title in 2013, Djokovic lost the French Open semifinal to defending champion Rafael Nadal who also defeated the Serb in the final of the same Major the previous year.

In a four hour 37 minute long saga, Djokovic lost the match to the eventual champion and the King of Clay, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7, another neck and neck loss for Djokovic where he fought till the very end.

With regards to the quality of tennis that the Djokovic-Nadal duo brought to the court and the unfathomable fight that both the tennis players put up while facing each other, Steve Tignor from Tennis.com said (via Tennis.com):

“The match was for Rafa, but it was for all tennis fans as well.”

This statement perhaps justifies the notion that the game stands above the person who wins or loses, especially with regard to the tennis presented by Djokovic and Nadal wherein the former fought his way back up every time the Spaniard tried getting the better of him.

#1 2012 US Open Final

Making up two of the Big Four, the Djokovic-Murray rivalry is another one of the biggest rivalries of the Open Era. Amidst the range of thrilling clashes between the two, the 2012 US Open Final is definitely one that comes amongst the top few memorable matches.

The Serb made the Scot fight for each point during the near-five-hour-long encounter, at the end of which the former defeated the latter 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 to become the first British man to clinch a Major tennis title since 1936.

Even though Murray was two sets ahead of Djokovic, both of which ended in tie breaks, the Serb fought back to make it 2-2 in a match that is not just considered to be one of the best Djokovic-Murray encounters but also one in the history of the US Open.

Murray’s victory came a couple of months after he won an Olympic gold in his homeland but Djokovic, the defending champion, did not make it easy, especially in the do-or-die fifth set which culminated in the second-longest US Open final.

Speaking about the great challenge posed by Djokovic and the unbelievably close scoreline throughout the match, Murray said (via Eurosport):