"I Experienced Nothingness," Djokovic Reflects on His 2016 Wimbledon Loss to Querrey
Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players in history, if not the best according to most observers of the sport today. With 24 Grand Slam titles to his name, among other achievements, the Serbian has won it all, completing his collection by finally claiming Olympic gold at the Paris Games last summer against Carlos Alcaraz.
However, one of the turning points in Djokovic’s career was his first Roland-Garros title in 2016. That year, he triumphed over Andy Murray in four sets in the final, finally lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires after three previous final defeats in 2012, 2014, and 2015.
As the defending champion at Wimbledon that year, Djokovic wanted to savor his Paris victory a little longer and admitted arriving in London without the right mindset to defend his crown.
"I had just won Roland-Garros and finally completed all the Major titles, which was a new feeling for me. I went through an internal transition phase to become a different person, and that process lasted until 2018.
In 2016, I felt obligated to play Wimbledon, and in the third round, I faced a match that was interrupted three times by rain. I was up against a formidable opponent on grass (Sam Querrey), and during the first interruption, I regrouped and talked with my team, but I was frustrated.
In the end, we decided to return to the court with the same game plan. We resumed the match, and I felt better, seizing my chances to win the third set.
In the fourth set, the match was evenly poised, and the rain returned. At that moment, I told my team I preferred to be alone because I needed peace and quiet.
For the first time in my life, I let go of everything. I lay down for 20 or 30 minutes, and in that moment, I experienced nothingness. I don’t know how to explain that feeling… Logically, when the match resumed, I ended up losing (7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6)," Djokovic told *Punto De Break*.
Since then, Djokovic has made peace with the tournament. After withdrawing from the 2017 quarterfinals against Tomas Berdych, the Serbian champion went on to win the London Grand Slam four times in a row (2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022) before reaching the final again in 2023 and 2024, losing both times to Carlos Alcaraz.
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