As Novak Djokovic sat down to dissect his startling third-round defeat at the US Open in the early hours of Saturday morning he no longer had the patience to mince his words. He had played so terribly throughout his time in New York, he noted, that reaching the third round had actually been a success. Most of all, he felt drained after a long, intense summer.
“Obviously it had an effect,” said Djokovic. “I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I did arrive to New York just not feeling fresh mentally and physically. But because it’s the US Open, gave it a shot and I tried my best. I didn’t have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas.”
