“Surprised to See Him so Affected”: Uncle Toni hails Novak Djokovic’s Mental Strength

World No.2 Daniil Medvedev bagged his first Grand Slam title after thrashing Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the finals. The Russian denied the Serbian legend his Calendar Slam and became the only player to beat him at Grand Slams this year.

In a recent column for El Pais, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Toni Nadal penned down what went wrong for Novak Djokovic in the finals. He believes that his plan completely failed and Daniil Medvedev served brilliantly throughout the US Open 2021 finals.

“We could argue that the break initial Medvedev made him Djokovic. It made a dent in the Serbian player, who quickly saw that the tactic he had planned with long rallies from behind was not going to work for him as the Russian was willing to suffer. Or that the new champion managed to serve very well throughout the game. And that he is deserving of the title and a firm candidate for others to come,” wrote Toni. (Translated via Google Translate)

Novak Djokovic expresses emotion during an interview after his match against in the men’s singles final. Day fourteen of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Even though Toni praised Medvedev, he also talked about the appreciation and support that the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium gave Djokovic. He feels that it can clearly be seen through the tears of the Serbian legend, who has usually plays against the audience.

“But we cannot ignore that betrayal he was talking about. Well, evident in those tears of the great Serbian champion playing one of the last games of the third set,” added the Spanish coach.

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Toni Nadal lauds Novak Djokovic as one of the strongest players in tennis

Nadal mentioned that he was surprised to see Nole crying during the US Open 2021 finals as he is the one of the strongest players on tour-both physically and mentally. However, he believes that since he was under so much pressure and was later happy to see the crowd cheering for him, he couldn’t control from expressing his emotions.

Novak Djokovic cries as he takes the court in the third set against Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final. Day fourteen of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

“The huge slab that put all that was at stake for him prevented him from resisting Daniil’s relentless game. And I have to admit that I was surprised to see him so affected. In recent times, it has perhaps been somewhat less resistant. But its enormous capacity to withstand moments of maximum tension with strength and concentration is well known,” concluded the 60-year-old.

After the US Open 2021, Novak Djokovic is likely to play at the Indian Wells Masters 2021. Will he be able to end the year as the World No.1 player yet again?

Also Read: How Was Daniil Medvedev’s Mastermind Executed While Denying Novak Djokovic’s Calendar Slam?

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