The disillusion is probably not as strong as this summer in Tokyo at the Olympics or in New York in September at the US Open, but all the same.
The very patriotic Novak Djokovic lost Friday in the semi-final of the Davis Cup with the Serbian team against the Croatian neighbor (1-2).
The curtain falls on the 2021 season, which certainly saw the 34-year-old champion move on to a Grand Slam match but all the same snatch a slew of records. Number of weeks spent in the place of world number one (he will start his 350th on Monday), seasons ended at the top of the world hierarchy (7), number of titles in Masters 1000 (37), number of Majors tied (20) with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal… Nole (34) blew the circuit away while his two eternal rivals ran out of steam.
“My season ended tonight.
And I have no regrets, ”commented Djokovic in reference to his second half of the year where all his disappointments were concentrated.
Referring to his great fatigue, he said he would "take advantage of the next few days to (rest), recover and forget about tennis", promising to say very soon when and where he would resume competition.
But he did not want to say if he would go to the Australian Open where players will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19, which he refuses to do until then.
The father of Novak Djokovic has given a layer this week on this absence which would stain.
A double-sided loss to one of the best pairs in the world
In the last ten days, Djokovic had in any case tried everything to offer Serbia a new silver bowl after the one gleaned against France in 2010. After bringing the team to the quarter against Kazakhstan, he managed to bring back his team tied by beating Marin Cilic (6-4, 6-2).
But in the decisive double, the victory escaped him with his comrade Filip Krajinovic.
Despite great resistance, they lost to the irresistible Pavic and Mektic (7-5, 6-1), Olympic champions in Tokyo, titled at Wimbledon and undefeated since the start of the competition.
The Croats will try to lift the Saladier for the third time against Daniil Medvedev's Russia or Germany without Alexander Zverev, who face each other on Saturday in the second semi-final.