Novak Djokovic Must Salvage Season at US Open After Wimbledon 2012 Loss

If a tennis player won the Australian Open, lost in the finals of the French Open and was defeated in the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships, most people would consider that an excellent season.

However, Novak Djokovic is not most people. He’s set the bar for excellence in men’s tennis high, especially after arguably one of the best years of all time in 2011 – which concluded with a 70-6 record, three Grand Slams and $12.6 million in prize money.

Djokovic was defeated on Friday, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, by Roger Federer at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ending his bid to become a repeat champion at Wimbledon.

If Djokovic wants to turn his (relatively) disappointing season around, he’s got to come through during the U.S. Open this September.

A win at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows would keep Djokovic at the top of the men’s tennis pecking order and prove he is still superior to both Rafael Nadal and Federer, even though he wasn’t able to overcome either of them at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, respectively.

While there is no shame in losing to a six-time Wimbledon or seven-time French Open champ at their preferred tournament on their best surface, Djokovic had to expect more from himself after that epic 2011 run.

Djokovic would still put another hell of a season behind him if he could win a second Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. It’s just a letdown considering the expectations going into 2012.