ATP Finals: How Novak Djokovic kept challengers at bay

It was a case of another day, another record for World No.1 Novak Djokovic at the ATP World Tour Finals

- Deepti Patwardhan

During the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic was two sets down against Jannik Sinner when he took into a bathroom break, gave himself "a little pep-talk in the mirror", and returned to win three sets on the trot.

On Tuesday, after losing 5-7,7-6 (5), 6-7(2) to the same opponent in a three-hour thriller, in the group stage of the ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic again took some time out to reflect.

"It's not easy to deal with him when he's losing the match," coach Goran Ivanisevic said at the conclusion of the tournament on Sunday. "On Tuesday night, he finished late. On Wednesday we didn't see him at all. Until Thursday we didn't know what's happening. We didn't know if we are going home. We were sitting, sitting.

We finally find out that he's going to play." Unlike the Tour and Grand Slam events, the Tour Finals, which pits the eight best players of the year against each other, isn't played in the knockout format.

Players are allowed a stumble. When he did play again, Djokovic still needed the full three sets to beat Hubert Hurkacz, who had stepped in as a replacement for an injured Stefanos Tsitsipas. The World No. 1 even required a little help from Sinner to finish second in their group, and secure a place in the semi-final.

Once there, Djokovic was back in beast mode. The tournament that had begun scratchily for him, ended with the Serb disposing of two of the best players in the world-World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 4 Sinner-with ridiculous ease.