Somehow, the greatest player in the world was reduced to being the party of the other part in this U.S. Open men’s semifinal Friday afternoon in the s🦹team bath of 𝓰Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Somehow, Novak Djokovic was all b🔥ut an afterthought despite reaching the final for the third 🦄time in four majors this year, the seventh time in eight majors over the past two seasons and the ninth time in 11 majors dating back to the 2014 French Open.
Because this 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Gael Monfils, in which artistry at times equated to burlesque, seemed to be all about the Frenchman and the unconventional — ifಌ controversial — tactics he employed i🥀n his quest to knock off Djokovic.
Monfils, and the furor surrounding him that was stoked by ESPN’s John McEnroe, will be in the spotlight for the short term. But Djokovic, who has held the men’s No. 1 ranking for the past 114 weeks (and counting), is the one who endured and is the one who is moving on to Sunday’s final against Stan Wꦆawrinka, who beat Kei Nishikori 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal Friday.
“I always wish to get to the final match whenever I come to a Grand Slam,” Djokovic said, who is aiming to defend the title he won last year after 🥀first winning it in 2011. “I have those kinds of ambitions.”
Djokovic won three majors last year, losing only the French in the finals. He is bidding๊ to win his third this year, losing only at Wimbledon in a massive third-round upset to Sam Querrey. But according to the Serb, his ambition entering this tournament was more modest. After issues with his left wrist and his shoulders, he just wanted to be able to play.
“Specifically,ꦇ before this Grand Slam, there were things that were happening with my health and my physical state that were, you know, making me a little bit skeptical about how the thing was going to go during the tournament,” he said. “I just wished for myself to be able to play on🙈 the level that I can. I hoped and believed that as I progressed in the tournament that things would get better, which they did. Thankfully, that’s behind me so I don’t have any concerns. I have lots of excitement for the finals.”
Djokovic’s trip to the semis was a strange one that included one victory in a walkover and two more against opponents who retired. Indeed, he had played only nine full sets before facing Monfils, who at times during the first t♐wo sets seemed to be impersonating a walkover all by himself.
For a time,꧒ with Monfils playing essentially stationary tennis, Djokovic seemed to be playing the part of George Foreman to Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope in the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle. There were moments in which it appeared that Monfils’ attempts to get into Djokovic’s head would succeed. There were times when it seemed as i🔥f the champion might punch himself out.
“There were a lot of punches on the tennis ball back and forth,” Djokovic said. “It was really exhausting because the opponent I played loves to stay in the baꦫck of the court꧃ and always being another ball back. Physically, we were taking each other to the limit.”
Djokovic admitted there were stretches in which Monfils’ unconventional appro𝓡ach got on his nerves and threw him off his game. It was as if the champion had unwittingly found himself on a roller coaster.
“I had different phases, I must admit,” he said. “I had phases when I was pissed off, phases when I was entertained by what he was doing🌺 and phases when I was upset with myself for allowing him to, you know, whatever he does to disturb my game and reason. So I went through it all. It was a great theatre experience today.
“You know, he’s one of the most charism✱atic guys on the tour,” Djokovic said. “He brings a full variety of athleticism. Just different variety. I know him well. I know what to expect. Sometimes as his opponent it is not easy to handle his ups and downs but he is a very impo𓂃rtant asset to our sport. He brings that joy.”
The asset to the sport, though is Djokovic, the cham🧜pion who somehow w🐲as reduced to an afterthought even while winning a U.S. Open semifinal.
That’s entertainment.