Bother follows Novak Djokovic round like a pet.
On the French Open final week, the 36-year-old Serb courted controversy when, after his victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic, he grabbed a pen and wrote (in Serbian) on the lens of a TV digital camera: ‘Kosovo is on the coronary heart of Serbia, cease the violence’ — a nationalist message at odds with Kosovo’s declare as an unbiased state and on the exact same day that Serbians clashed with Kosovo’s police and NATO-led peacekeepers in northern Kosovo.
Cue outrage.
In a great world, in fact, sport and politics would by no means combine however that’s like making an attempt to take the egg out of an omelet – unattainable and, for that matter, solely pointless.
Whereas Djokovic’s actions on the French Open drew widespread criticism, it was simply one other incident on an more and more lengthy rap sheet for the tennis celebrity.
In January 2022, for instance, he was deported from Australia forward of the Australian Open, after his staunch anti-COVID vaccination stance prevented him from competing and his claims of a medical exemption had been dismissed.
In 2020, in the meantime, he was thrown out of the US Open for smashing a ball into the throat of an unsuspecting lineswoman, hospitalizing her and incomes himself a disqualification within the course of
Ballboys have been bawled at. Racquets have been hurled. There have been strops, f-bombs and feuds with umpires. Djokovic has additionally mastered the artwork of gamesmanship, in accordance with fellow gamers.
Take the 2020 French Open, the place Carreno Busta was main the quarter-final match in opposition to Djokovic earlier than the Serb referred to as a medical time-out, disrupting the Spaniard’s momentum.
However abruptly feeling higher, Djokovic returned for the win. “Each time a match will get troublesome, he seeks medical consideration,” grumbled Busta.
Former world primary, Andy Roddick, was much less diplomatic earlier than their match on the 2008 US Open, saying Djokovic had appeared to “overcome two damage ankles in addition to a again (harm), and a rib and a cramp, chicken flu, anthrax, SARS, frequent cough and chilly” in his earlier sport. “He’s both fast to name the coach or he’s probably the most brave man of all time,” Roddick declared.
The online end result, because the refrain of boos greeting him in Paris have proved this week, is that Novak Djokovic’s reputation seems questionable (at greatest).
However how tennis wants him.
The difficulty with Djokovic, although, is that he’s on the verge of turning into the best male participant of all time. If he wins the French Open this weekend, will probably be his 23rd Grand Slam singles title – greater than another man in historical past.
There’s no disputing the continued brilliance of Djokovic’s efficiency. However past that, he’s additionally the type of participant skilled tennis requires proper now to maintain it fascinating.
I imply, have a look at Wimbledon, which is so sleepy the group really applauds the road expertise machine that determines whether or not a ball is in or out. Thrilling, huh?
Sure, you don’t should do a lot to be labeled a ‘character’ in tennis. Equally, you don’t should do a lot to develop into the villain of the piece both.
And no character feels extra fascinating— or, sure, irritating — than Novak Djokovic. Particularly as Roger Federer has hung up his racquet and Rafael Nadal is sidelined with harm and his race all however run.
In spite of everything, for therefore lengthy Djokovic has been the Goldfinger to Federer’s James Bond, the Darth Vader to Nadal’s Obi Wan Kenobi.
And it’s that type of intense rivalry that tennis thrives on.
Think about Bjorn Bjorg by no means taking part in John McEnroe? Or Chris Evert with out Martina Navaratilova on the opposite facet of the web?
It’s what makes sport what it’s.
You want a polarizing presence, a participant who followers wish to lose greater than they need the opposite one to win. Each magnificent and maddening, that presence at the moment comes all the way down to Djokovic.
In fact, many in professional tennis consider that Djokovic will get away with greater than his contemporaries just because he’s so good.
When Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for hitting the road choose, for instance, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios – maybe the baddest of all the sport’s dangerous boys – launched a ballot on Twitter, asking his followers how lengthy he could be banned for if he had behaved like Djokovic, giving choices of 5, 10 or 20 years. Greater than 200,000 votes had been tallied and over 51% of respondents determined that 20 years could be almost definitely.
However it’s simpler to clamp down on lower-ranked gamers for contraventions — they don’t appeal to a fraction of the media protection as Djokovic. Simply have a look at the wall-to-wall evaluation of his authorized battle and subsequent deportation from Australia in 2022.
Within the wake of that debacle down below, Djokovic’s former coach, Boris Becker, was requested in a BBC interview why folks nonetheless didn’t heat to the Serb.
“He’s not for everyone – I get it,” replied the three-times Wimbledon champion. “[But] you can not make folks love you.”
Perhaps we should always all strive a bit more durable.
