Novak Djokovic reached the championship match at Flushing Meadows after having dropped six sets in the previous rounds. In comparison, Daniil Medvedev had dropped only one set when he took to court for the final. However, Bubanj believes that wasn’t a key factor in how their match played out.

Goran Bubanj also stressed on two important moments of the match where he felt Novak Djokovic failed to capitalize. The first instance was at the very beginning of the contest, where Djokovic got broken despite having had a 40-15 lead.

Bubanj claimed that the first game was evidence of the fact that Djokovic was under a lot of pressure.

The other crucial moment according to Goran Bubanj was in the second game of the second set, on Daniil Medvedev’s serve. The Russian was down 0-40 in that game, but he managed to escape with a hold.

Even though Novak Djokovic had spent more hours on the court coming into the finals and was nine years older than Daniil Medvedev, Goran Bubanj believes a longer match would have benefitted the 34-year-old.

The former head of the Tennis Association in Belgrade also commented on how Djokovic lacked a clear game plan. In contrast, Medvedev’s confidence grew exponentially with each hurdle that he overcame.

According to Goran Bubanj, Novak Djokovic’s keenness to rush the net during the match was an indication that he wasn’t sure of his game-plan. Bubanj pointed out that even an attacking player such as Roger Federer was unlikely to approach the net as often as Djokovic did against Medvedev.

Goran Bubanj also lauded the fact that Daniil Medvedev executed his tactics to perfection. He highlighted how the Russian was patient in the longer rallies, which forced Novak Djokovic to go for more.

“The Olympics were a big mistake in every way for Novak Djokovic” - Goran Bubanj

In addition to his critique of Novak Djokovic’s performance in the US Open final, Goran Bubanj also questioned the World No. 1’s participation in the Olympics. According to Bubanj, playing in Tokyo robbed Djokovic of the chance to rest for the US Open, thus depriving him of “the most important tournament in his career”.

Goran Bubanj went on to elaborate on why he thinks Novak Djokovic’s Calendar Slam would have been a unique accomplishment in men’s tennis. He pointed out that Djokovic had to play on three different surfaces in his Calendar Slam bid, while the only other man to do it in the Open Era - Rod Laver - played on just two.

But despite Novak Djokovic’s failure to win the US Open, Goran Bubanj highlighted how the Serb’s season was still a historic one.

Goran Bubanj also claimed Novak Djokovic can now play with greater freedom since he has been relieved of the pressure he was dealing with in pursuit of the Calendar Slam. Bubanj believes the World No. 1 will try his best to maintain his stranglehold atop the rankings - especially if Daniil Medvedev gets in a position to threaten it.

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