‘My legs were not there’ – Novak Djokovic admits he was ‘subpar’ in US Open defeat

Novak Djokovic says his ‘legs were not there’ in the US Open final, suggesting fatigue and pressure had got the best of him.

Djokovic fell an agonising one win short of what would have been a first calendar Grand Slam in men’s tennis for more than 50 years.

He lost to Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, though, to crush his dreams of making a very special piece of history in New York.

However, after the match he was not in the mood for excuses, and acknowledge Medvedev was a worthy winner.

“He was hitting his spots very well, he was very determined,” Djokovic told the Serbian media.

“You could feel that he was at the highest of his abilities. My legs were not there, I was subpar, lot of unforced errors, no serve.

“Turning point was the start of the second set. I was very close to break there. Who knows the trajectory of the match, with the crowd, but he did so well, deserved to win.

“I am disappointed, I know I could have and should have done better. Very tough loss, but I am happy for him, he is a nice guy and deserves it.

“Transition is inevitable, but us older guys, we are still there.

“I want to keep going and try to win more Slams and play for my country, those are the things that motivate me the most at this point. But I think tennis is in good hands.

“I was short today, but I have to be proud of what we achieved this year. I’ve learned to overcome this kind of tough losses, the ones that hurt the most.

“I will try to be stronger, to learn some lessons and to keep going.”

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