Novak Djokovic seems destined to be forever overlooked.
He had the misfortune to be born in the spring of 1987, an untimely origin that two decades later thrust him into the midst of a daunting dynasty -- Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal.
Now, on the verge of a signature career moment, it's happening again: While the 28-year-old from Serbia vies for his third Grand Slam singles title of the season at the U.S. Open, Serena Williams is going for a far-rarer fourth.
"Novak's been a trailblazer in the men's game, the best hard-court player, over the last five, six years," said Darren Cahill, an ESPN analyst, who coached Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt to the World Tour No. 1 ranking. "His career is tracking similarly to Roger Federer's. In my mind, he has a chance to place himself among the great, great players.
"But for that one day Stan [Wawrinka] came out of his shoes, we'd be having the same conversation about him that we're having about Serena."
After dispatching nine-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, Djokovic looked poised to win his first title at Roland Garros. After winning the first set of the final against Wawrinka, he lost three straight and the career Grand Slam he ached to achieve escaped his grasp.
Djokovic is 20-1 in the majors this season, but Serena is a spotless 21-0.
Despite finals losses to the world No. 2 Andy Murray and No. 3 Federer on successive Sundays in Montreal and Cincinnati, the No. 1 seed remains the favorite.
"Yeah," Cahill said, "he'll go into this one in a similar fashion to Serena. They have the belief that they're the best players in New York, and it's up to somebody to prove them wrong."
Turning the page
Winning the trifecta isn't easy.
Australian Rod Laver is the only man to win all four Slams in a single year -- twice, in 1962 and 1969.
Jimmy Connors won all three majors he entered in 1974 but did not play the French Open. Federer, the all-time Grand Slam leader with 17 singles titles, won three on three different occasions, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Nadal (tied with Pete Sampras for second with 14) scored the hat trick in 2010.
The great Bjorn Borg never won three majors in a calendar year. Sampras? Nope.
Djokovic, who did it in 2011, could become only the second player to do it twice.
"Well, it's sport," Djokovic told reporters last Sunday after losing to Federer in the Cincinnati final. "You can't win all the time. I won many matches this year. Could have done some things better, but I lost to a better player, no question about it.
"I have to deal with it. U.S. Open is around the corner, and I have to turn the next page. Hopefully, I can do well there."
Back in January, before the Australian Open, ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert saw this coming. Admittedly, some of the legendary coach's outrageous predictions do not come to pass, but this one did.
"Djoker could win three of these things," said Gilbert, who tutored Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. "I thought the same thing last year and the year before, but I like where he's at."
Gilbert was among the many stunned by the French Open final result.
"Everything was lined up for him," Gilbert said. "I would never have believed that Stan was going to be the guy to stop him. Djokovic had a dominant head-to-head against him."
In fact, Djokovic had won 19 of 22 previous matches against the Swiss No. 2.
"Stan stepped in and played beautifully," Gilbert said. "But what people forget is that Djoker came right back. To put that behind him and win Wimbledon -- that might be the best result of 2015."
Most disappointing Slam
Tennis is, by definition, virtually always a losing proposition. That's what happens when 128 singles players lace up their sneakers for a Grand Slam -- and 127 of them go home defeated.
Djokovic has played 11 tournaments this year and ultimately hoisted the trophy six times. He's 56-5 for the season; only Federer (45-7) and Murray (56-9) also have single-digit losses. Djokovic is a rhythmic player who goes on runs.
After losing to monster-serving Ivo Karlovic in his third match of 2015 in Doha, Djokovic ripped off 11 straight victories. He threw together a streak of 27-0 after falling to Federer in Dubai back in February. There was another 11-0 run between the French final and the loss to Murray in Montreal.
With all due respect to the French Open, the U.S. Open has been Djokovic's most disappointing Slam. He's a five-time Australian Open champion, and he just took home his third Wimbledon championship. The Roland Garros clay, the surface least conducive to his game, he's made three finals without a title. At the U.S. Open hard courts, a surface on which he thrives, Djokovic has reached five finals -- and won only once. He has been beaten at that final stage twice by Nadal and once each by Federer and Murray.
Last year, a depleted Djokovic lost to Kei Nishikori in the semifinals.
Paul Annacone, a Tennis Channel analyst, however, likes the way Djokovic comes into New York.
"He looks comfortable, despite the wear and tear of the two Masters 1,000s," said Annacone, an analyst for Tennis Channel. "I'll be surprised if Novak doesn't play well there."
A win would give him his 10th Grand Slam singles title, tying him with Bill Tilden and put him within one victory of Laver and Borg.
Despite a disappointing summer by his own standards, playing three out of five sets will help Djokovic. No one is better at wearing down opponents than Djokovic, according to Brad Gilbert, who likened the world No. 1's game to Agassi. Like the American, Djokovic plays a calculated, controlled offensive game by hitting the ball heavy to the corners, establishing court position and pulling the trigger earlier.
"Barring something crazy and unforeseen -- like Kevin Anderson serving out of his mind for two sets at Wimbledon -- Djoker's the favorite for the U.S. Open," Gilbert said. If he's on his game, he's unbeatable."