Video - Federer and Djokovic's "Lucky Shot" at the 2011 US Open

Jules Hypolite

le 13/09/2025 à 23h19

1 min to read

Djokovic Federer US Open

At Flushing Meadows in 2011, Roger Federer was one point away from victory before Novak Djokovic turned the match around. The Swiss player later expressed his bitterness to journalists.

In the semifinals of the 2011 US Open, a true clash was on the schedule with the matchup between Federer and Djokovic.

The Serb, experiencing one of the best seasons of his career (having won titles before New York at the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid, Rome, Wimbledon, and Montreal), faced his Swiss rival for the fifth consecutive year at this Grand Slam.

Djokovic came within a hair's breadth of defeat, saving two match points in the fifth set at 5-3, 40-15 on Federer's serve, before winning four games later and overcoming a two-set deficit (6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5).

In the press conference, Federer did not hide his disappointment, mentioning the winning return his opponent made on the first match point:

"His return... It's not like he really believed in his chances. Losing to someone in that state is disappointing; he was mentally out of the match. He pulls off that lucky shot."