Novak Djokovic Finds Harmony and a Lot of Wins

For the time being, betting on either of those outcomes would seem ill-advised. And so, resignation, even at the end of a year that might have crushed so many others.

Listen to Casper Ruud, the world’s fourth-ranked player and a two-time Grand Slam finalist this year, including on the hardcourts of the U.S. Open. If his life depended on the outcome of a match on an indoor hard court, he would turn over his racket to someone else.

“I would choose Novak,” Ruud, a soft-spoken Norwegian, said this week.

Or Andrey Rublev, a 25-year-old Russian with a forehand that so many pros lust after.

“Every tournament that he plays, he’s the favorite,” Rublev said not long after enduring a 6-4, 6-1 drubbing from Djokovic on Wednesday.

Rublev appeared dazed as he spoke, his flowing, strawberry blond hair pushed in every direction, as though instead of playing Djokovic he’d spent an hour spinning in a clothes drier. The two experiences may feel frighteningly similar, especially when Djokovic enters his zone, which he most certainly had.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/sports/tennis/djokovic-nadal-atp-finals.html