Roger Federer’s resurgence and Rafael Nadal’s injuries may have captured the headlines in 2014 but the year belonged to Novak Djokovic.
At the start of 2014, all eyes were on Djokovic at the Australian open. The Serb had lost his No. 1 ranking in late 2013, but had ended the season on a four title winning run, including two heavy defeats inflicted on world No. 1 Rafael Nadal.
New season, new coach.
Djokovic’s appointment of Boris Becker at the end of the 2013 to his coaching team was a major talking point before the four time champ defended his title in Melbourne. That title was the only major he had won in his last five championship matches at the slams and whether or not Becker could give Djokovic that much needed mental and tactical edge in the game’s biggest matches was a question the tennis world was curious to see answered.
If Djokovic was going to win another slam, Melbourne seemed to be the obvious place. However, he did not even make the final in his first major with Becker. Stan Wawrinka got revenge for his five set loss in 2013 when he edged Djokovic 9-7 in the final set. Interestingly, Djokovic lost the match on a missed volley, actually serve and volleying match point down. It was a sign he was commited to a more aggressive mindset in big matches, but this time it had not paid off.
While Djokovic went away to lick his wounds, Wawrinka went on to beat an injured Nadal in a controversial final. The Swiss became the first man to win a major other than Murray, Nadal or Federer since del Potroo at the U.S Open 2009.
Return to winning ways
Djokovic clearly did a lot of thinking post Melbourne. He came back and won Indian Wells (d. Roger Federer) and Miami (d. Nadal) back to back, and then won in Rome (d. Nadal). Three ATP 1000 titles in a row and his more aggressive play, similar to that he showed in his tree major winning year of 2011, was giving him the edge over his greatest rivals.
Tears in Paris.
That last win in Rome was crucial as he overwhelmed a struggling Nadal who had lost to Ferrer and Amalgro in previous 2014 clay court events. The Roland Garros title, and the prestigious Career Slam, looked to be his for the taking as he stormed through the draw to the semis. There, however, he faltered, as he faced Ernests Gulbis and prevailed in an error ridden and nervy performance. Meanwhile Rafael Nadal thrashed Andy Murray to make his ninth French Open Final.
A shaky Djokovic did not perform in the final- the best he could do was win a set against a man he had beaten four times in a row in big matches. Nadal took the title. And Djokovic had lost another final.
The magnitude of the defeat, and the warm applause of the crowd in the trophy presentation ceremony, reduced Djokovic to tears, and even his biggest critics would have found it difficult not to wish another major trophy on him in the near future.
Everything comes together in SW19
Wimbledon presented Djokovic with a second chance. In the final he faced Federer. The Swiss had climbed back intl the top five and was playing aggressive tennis under Edberg. He had won titles in Dubai and Halle and made finals in Monte Carlo and Indian Wells. That Indian Wells final was lost to Djokovic in a final set tiebreaker, and his defeats of Djokovic in Dubai and Monte Carlo, plus the form he displayed on his way to the Wimbledon final saw Federer dominating the tennis headlines and the favorite predictions of many a fan and pundit.
Djokovic, though, held firm in the final. He was being aggressive on the ground and was effective on his serve, putting some of the most impressive serving stats of his career.
Serving for the match in the fourth set, however, he faltered. Federer broke him to stay in contention for the title, and then won the fourth set to take the match into a decider.
Another major final loss for Djokokic looked on the cards as it seemed the demons that had conquered him in so many big matches were once again winning. But the Serb did not break down under pressure. In fact, his serve held up to the task, and he stayed true to an aggressive approach to the match.
It was the serve that made the difference between the Serb and his Swiss rival. As Federer’s serve faltered in the fifth set, Djokovic’s held firm and his return game served him well, too, as he broke Federer in the tenth game to take his second Wimbledon title and his seventh Major.
The win was not only his first major for eighteen months but sealed his return to the No. 1 spot.
American Letdown
Djokovic went into the U.S Open series as the heavy favorite but shock defeats in Toronto and Cincinnati followed. While he seemed to have his game back together in the first few rounds of the U.S Open, an awkward four set win over Murray in the quarters left him vulnerable. In the semis, Kei Nishikori took full advantage, knocking him out in four sets.
Nishikori, who had also overcome Wawrinka in a grueling last eight contest, had nothing left to give against Marin Cilic who, in the form of his career, took the title.
‘Battlle for No. 1’ a stroll in the park.
Djokovic regrouped for the final stretch of the year. With the pressure on as Federer chased the no. 1 ranking, Djokovic took the title in Beijing losing just two games in the final to Berdych, a display that had Berdych acclaiming him as the greatest player he had come up against.
A Loss to Federer in the Shanghai semis had many wondering if Djokovic’s year end No. 1 ranking was on the line. The headlines read Federer had a chance to equal Sampras’ record six year end No.1 finishes.
The reality though proved to be very different. Federer lost early at the ATP 1000 event at Paris-Bercy while Djokovic beat the Swiss’ victor, Milos Raonic, with ease in the final.
At the year’s final event at the ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic had to win three matches to seal the year end No. 1 ranking for the third time in his career. He did it with the minimum of fuss beating Cilic, Berdych and Wawrinka for the loss of nine games.
The year end No. 1 was his. Now a fourth ATP World Tour Finals trophy was on his racket. Matters got more difficult as he dropped a set to Nishikori in the semis but that was to be the last competitive match of 2014 for the Serb when Federer withdrew from the final.
The year end No.1, the Wimbledon title, a 61-8 win-loss record and six other titles, all were Djokovic’s in 2014. It was a year which the headlines were not his but in which many of the trophies and the numbers that mattered were very much so.
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