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Tennis fans recently engaged in a spirited debate regarding the hardest loss of Novak Djokovic's career.
While the Serb has enjoyed considerable success on tour, he has also faced his share of bitter defeats during his illustrious career. Recently, a fan sparked a discussion on social media, posing the question of the Serb's hardest-ever loss.
Among the options provided were the World No. 1's narrow five-set defeat to Rafael Nadal in the 2013 French Open semifinal and his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 Roland Garros final.
The fan also included more recent choices, including the Serb's loss to Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final and his close defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 Wimbledon final.
The consensus among fans leaned heavily towards Novak Djokovic's straight-set loss to Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final, as it ended his hopes of achieving the Calendar Slam.
One fan cited the 36-year-old's breaking down in tears during the final as evidence of the magnitude of the occasion.
"Medvedev and losing the calendar slam was clearly the hardest on him. Those sobs...," one fan posted.
"2021 U.S. Open. That’s a final I can’t even watch. And at least after Wimbledon 2023 he rebounded very quickly. But the months following the 2021 U.S. Open final were awful except for Paris Masters," another fan chimed in.
However, other fans offered a different perspective, suggesting that Djokovic's failure to secure a medal for Serbia at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 editions of the Olympics had hurt him more than his losses at Grand Slam events.
"I think his most recent Olympics losses hurt him more than any Slam final," one fan commented.
"100%, he wants the Olympics for Serbia more than any Slam for himself," another fan shared.
"Might even say Zverev at the Tokyo Olympics inbetween Wimbledon and that US Open," another fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from fans on Reddit:
"The thought of it excites me" - Novak Djokovic on competing in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Novak Djokovic recently contemplated the possibility of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While he admitted that it's a distant prospect, he's open to the idea.
"Everything is on the cards. I just don’t know how many cards I have left, you know. Let’s see. It’s still very far to think about – Los Angeles Olympic Games," he said in his pre-tournament press conference at the Indian Wells Masters.
Expressing excitement at the idea of making another appearance at the global sporting event, the Serb asserted that he cannot commit his participation just yet.
"But the thought of it excites me, of course. Love to play that. As we know, Olympics come every four years. I can’t really commit to that yet," he added.
Djokovic is competing at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters, where he takes on Aleksandar Vukic in his tournament opener. The World No. 1 is looking to break his tie with Roger Federer and clinch his sixth title at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
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