2013.09.10 A champion in defeat By Erin Bruehl（from US OPEN）

                
                
Monday, September 9, 2013
When he reached his first US Open final in 2007, Novak Djokovic was solidly the third-best player in the world, behind the nearly invincible Roger Federer and the clay-court dominator Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic was just 20 years old at the time, playing in his first career Grand Slam final, against arguably the greatest player of all-time in Federer.
He had an impressive road to the final, taking out a young, future US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, former French Open champion Carlos Moya and current world No. 4 David Ferrer, among others. The 20-year-old Serb played the great Federer tough, fighting to two tiebreaks before falling in straights.
It was an outcome many had predicted, back in the days when Federer’s wins were only doubted when he played Nadal on clay.
Just a few months later Djokovic won his first career Grand Slam title, at the 2008 Australian Open, although it would be another two-and-a-half years before he would return to a Slam final, again at the US Open, as Nadal ascended to and passed Federer's heights.
In 2010, the Serb advanced to the first of what is now four consecutive US Open finals -- three of which have been waged against Nadal. He fell to Nadal in that 2010 final, then tripped the Spaniard in a sublime 2011 season that saw Djokovic win three of the four Slams and 10 titles overall. On Monday, he lost the rubber match to Nadal, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, dealing the world No. 1 four losses in five career US Open finals.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg lost four US Open finals, without ever winning a title. Andre Agassi also fell in the final round four times. Eight-time major champ Ivan Lendl reached the US Open final eight years in a row from 1982 to 1989 and lost five times – the most US Open finals losses of any player in the Open era.
Against Nadal Monday night, it was disappointing for Djokovic no doubt, an up-and-down performance, no question. His backhand, usually among the best in the world, was as spectacular at times as it was wild. His pressuring return game broke Nadal more than the Spaniard had been broken the entire tournament, but he also missed chances to go up a double break in the third set and converted just three of 11 break-point chances overall.
Djokovic’s record in Grand Slam finals now falls to 6-6, meaning he has lifted trophies as often as he has given the gracious runner-up speeches. Against Nadal, he is 15-22 overall, 3-3 in Grand Slam finals. He has now done the runner-up speech four times in New York, but in an era of men’s tennis featuring arguably three of the greatest the game has ever seen, with increased power and physicality in the game, Djokovic has reason to hold his head high.
“I wasn't playing at a top of the level that I know how to play throughout the whole match, because credit to my opponent, he was making me run. I had my ups and downs, but this is all sport,” Djokovic said Monday evening. “It's another match, another tournament for me, and hopefully I can take the best out of it. It's US Open final. I mean, in the end of the day I have to be satisfied with the final, even though I would have loved to win this match tonight.
“I wish I won at least one title more, considering the fact I played two finals. All the matches I lost, even the French Open, I had that match,” he added, alluding to his 9-7 fifth-set loss to Nadal in the 2013 French Open semis. “Overall, it was again a very successful Grand Slam year for me.”
Nadal's win at this year's US Open means he remains undefeated on hard courts this year, 22-0 and counting, but it is Djokovic who has been the best hard-court player in the world the past few years. He won his fourth Australian Open title this year in Melbourne, and he defeated Nadal in a nearly six-hour marathon in the 2012 Australian Open final. His four titles in Melbourne tie him with Federer and Agassi for the most in the Open era, and his 31 hard-court wins in 2013 lead the ATP Tour.
“Hard court is my most successful surface. This is where I can say I feel most comfortable and confident,” Djokovic said after his five-set semifinal win over Stanislas Wawrinka. “Playing four finals now in a row and five in total, it's great. I mean, seven, eight years that I have been coming back here I have played at least semifinals in every US Open. Fantastic.”
Reaching four consecutive US Open finals ties Djokovic for the eighth-most all-time, and his seven consecutive US Open semis is the fourth-best in the Open era, one removed from the second-place holders, Federer and Lendl.
Through the years, the US Open has developed into a special place for Djokovic, the location of some of his best successes and where he always stays with friends, instead of hotels. He has thoroughly entertained and embraced the New York crowd over the years. It’s the site of painful memories but one of his greatest triumphs, and he will keep fighting each and every time he returns.
“Many times you fall as an athlete, and you have to learn the lesson and keep on going, keep on fighting, keep on improving,” he said. “I'm still 26, and I believe [the] best time for my career is about to come. As long as I believe it, the fire of the love towards the game is inside of me. And as long as that's present, as long as I feel it, I'm going to play this sport with all my heart, as I did in last 10 years.”
The tennis world looks forward to seeing it.