Novak Djokovic knows how to win. As a matter of fact, it seems like he's forgotten how to lose. Save for one match -- a French Open semifinal against a determined Roger Federer -- Djokovic has not lost this calendar year. And we're in the middle of August. It's mind-boggling how truly dominant the Serb has been. Mardy Fish played an excellent match in the Rogers Cup final yesterday, but Novak found a way to win. Rafael Nadal did not play poorly in any of the 5 finals contested with Novak this year, but Nadal lost all of them. Could it really be possible that Djokovic could win out, including the U.S. Open, and end the season 1 semifinal loss away from a Grand Slam and a perfect tennis season? Seems utterly unfathomable. But the the level he has achieved since the Davis Cup last year, with all the confidence in the world and the unstoppable game to match, it's actually within the realm of possibility. At this moment, it is not hyperbole to say that Novak Djokovic is putting together the greatest tennis season ever.
I, on the other hand, cannot find a way to win a match. I am on a personal winless streak that dates back as far as I can remember. I'm sure I've actually won a match or two in recent years, but it seems like I've mastered the art of losing. I hadn't played tennis in over a month until Saturday, when I played with one of my regular hitting partners. He possesses an infinitely better serve and cleaner groundstrokes than I do. I had never taken a set off him before. I played a nearly-flawless first set. Instead of going for power serves, I spun my serve in on the first and second. I returned incredibly. I was relaxed and aggressive at the same time. I won the set, 6-0. I went up 2-0 in the second. And then I collapsed. My spin serve stopped working. My groundies found the net. I must've tightened up, though I didn't realize it at the time. After winning the first 8 games, I lost 12 of the next 13. Admittedly, he started serving better and making less errors. But the loss was all on me. My woefully inconsistent serve let me down, and my mental fragility on the court prevented me from pulling myself out of a tailspin. I was left with the empty feeling that comes with a bad loss. But I was also left with something positive... the knowledge that I have the ability to put together a perfect set. I did it. I proved I can do it. Now I have to get out of my own way and let me best game take center stage. After the match, I half-jokingly suggesting to my hitting partner that I need to see a tennis shrink. Now I'm not quite so sure there was even a half joke in there.
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