Djokovic's drive: why Serbian star could become first man to complete grand slam for nearly 50 years

Novak Djokovic could not find his keys.

Alone in a parking lot outside Arthur Ashe Stadium at about 2am Monday, a handful of hours after beating Roger Federer in the US Open final for his third major title of 2015 and 10th overall, there stood Djokovic, unable to unlock the car he’d been using to drive himself between the tournament site in Queens and the hotel near Central Park where he stayed with his wife and their 10-month-old son the past two weeks.

Turned out, he said, a member of his entourage accidentally grabbed the keys while gathering Djokovic’s bags. So Djokovic reluctantly accepted a ride from a US Open courtesy car, which is how most players get around. It’s just that this 28-year-old from Serbia prefers to be in the driver’s seat, an apt metaphor for his grand slam status these days.

“It gives me a little bit of time for myself, to relax. Listening to music, going through my thoughts. I love driving here, because I don’t get a lot of chances to do that throughout the year,” Djokovic said Monday.

“I actually was very much looking forward to that champion’s drive from the tennis court to the hotel,” he added with a laugh, “but it wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”