Novak Djokovic: 5 Reasons Why Djoker Needs U.S. Open Crown

If this were a year ago, maybe we are talking about this as a formality.

Novak Djokovic was the toast of the men’s tennis scene. As the top player in the world, he was winning, dominating and making everyone take notice of how he was beating the best of the best and laying claim to being one of the greats of all time.

Down went Rafa Nadal.

Down went Roger Federer.

Down went Andy Murray (I have to include him in the Rushmore of today’s tennis stars).

And we all thought maybe we were witnessing a younger version of the greats of the past 15 years.

Now, we see something different. True, it is hard to decide who truly is the best of the best when Nadal, Federer and “Djoker” have been claiming Grand Slam titles like they were friends on Facebook, but since there is now a new top player in the men’s game (some guy named Federer), it would appear Djokovic may not be at the top of the game or his game, to be exact.

Is he a better version of Andy Roddick, who wins titles and will slip away from the conscience of the tennis scene in a few years, or is he here to stay and claim more titles and challenge records set by the likes of Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and now, one of his greatest rivals, Federer?

Here are a few reasons Djokovic needs this title in his gym bag more than you know.

Great Players Step Up in Big Situations

He is still one of the greats of the current game.

And in these types of tournaments, the cream rises to the top.

Djokovic will take his game to another level and challenge and press through.

The best want the game on the line and the racket in their hands.

Rafa Nadal Is Not Here

Because of injury concerns, Nadal is not competing in this Grand Slam title.

That gives "Djoker" more of an opportunity to win.

When the "great" four are in a tournament, meaning Roger Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Andy Murray, the stakes are that much higher and there is a 25 percent chance of claiming the title.

Now, the stakes are higher and the chance of winning is now at 33 percent.

He Can Lay Claim to the Best of the Year

While Federer is the top-ranked player on the tour and Andy Murray just won Olympic Gold, Djoker needs to lay claim to another title to remain relevant in the game.

Superstars take a longer time to gain the accolades of champions and fall faster than a Roger Clemens fastball when they begin to slip.

If he can win here, he can start the road back to being the best of the best.

It's a Tournament He Has Already Won

I think a lot of us forget the fact that Djokovic won the tournament last year; he is still a threat to win this year.

Certain surfaces have a way of being familiar to certain players and if they have already laid claim to winning at a place like Flushing Meadows, it makes the challenge easier to deal with.

The talent may be tougher, but the mental acumen becomes easier.

To Regain His Form

Like I said, Djokovic was nearly unstoppable last year and the beginning of this year.

Now, he looks mortal.

Wins are like stimulants, and continue to help athletes get better mentally.

This is a court Djoker can and should win on. It will help his mental game and get him back into a situation where he is playing like the champion of old.

And that is great thing for tennis fans.