Choking, Even in the US Open Final

In the first set Roger was shaky and on edge.

In addition to a display of great tennis by two of the classiest champions in the modern game, the 2007 US Open final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic held a number of useful lessons for the astute tennis aficionado. Not the least of these was provided by an exhibition of choking by both players, the magnitude of which is seldom seen in a major championship final. There was much here to learn about what causes players to choke and, if it does occur, how to reduce its damage. The following is a kind of emotional autopsy of the match, providing a framework for our conclusions.

From the outset Federer was obviously nervous and on edge. Of course he had plenty of reason to be. In the last year the drum beat in the media about him being the greatest player of all time had been incessant. Is he or isn’t he? The question had been massaged ad nauseam by the pundits, not to mention counting down his assault on Pete Sampras’ record of winning 14 majors.

Federer had 11 going into the tournament, and one more would put him…