Like any good superhero film, sport wants its heroes and villains. Tennis is not any exception.
For the final fifteen years Roger and Rafa, our cape donning warriors, have delighted adoring crowds. But for this story to work we would have liked an anti-hero of equal brilliance. Enter Novak Djokovic.
Possibly the best participant to have ever performed the sport, it’s unbelievable that his character is usually talked about greater than his on-court capacity. He is somebody that’s redefining age obstacles in our sport, but headlines focus extra on his views on vaccinations. Instead of being attentive to his different worldly court docket protection, we focus in on his participant union actions.
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Over the years I’ve danced with the satan, (and he whooped me on a number of events!), however the extra I danced the extra I realised that our sport’s most divisive participant was maybe not a villain, however a hero in disguise.
On a private stage I’ve all the time discovered Novak personable and approachable. He was somebody that I revered enormously for simply how good of a participant he was. I mentioned as a lot within the remaining of the Japan Open on the trophy presentation after being defeated by Novak, acknowledging that satirically, I felt at instances his achievements are considerably downplayed. Such are the perils of being the villain!
Controversy has surrounded Novak all through his profession. He burst onto the scene a assured and brash upstart; his household donned in ‘Nole’ shirts simply recognized within the crowd. Taking sports activities science to a complete new stage, he’s typically had folks guessing what’s in these courtside concoctions secretly dealt with by his staff.
Ill emotions in direction of him had been heightened throughout Covid. His refusal to take the vaccine infuriated many but it surely got here as no shock if you see how his meticulousness with what goes into his physique is unrivalled.
Being denied entry into Australia for the Open in 2022 solely added gasoline to the hate fireplace however we regularly overlook that Novak would have had no intention to enter the nation had he not been led to imagine he had a legitimate exemption within the first place.
He’s a simple goal to direct frustration in direction of however earlier than we pull the set off perhaps I can shed mild with a narrative about Novak and one of many many instances he was there for the gamers.
In the midst of Covid, skilled tennis gamers like the remainder of the world, had been doing it robust. Essentially being compelled again on tour to take care of our world rating, within the hopes of higher instances to come back. We had been enjoying in strict quarantine bubbles for an 80 per cent discount of prizemoney. Financially we had been shedding cash every week and up steps Novak.
At his personal expense he funded a challenger and two ATP occasions at 100 per cent pre-pandemic prizemoney ranges. There wasn’t something in it for him however like he has accomplished all through his profession he was there when folks wanted it.
Whether it was being one of many first gamers to donate to the bushfire attraction when Australia was burning, fronting a PTPA (Players Association) to raised characterize gamers, being a UNICEF nationwide ambassador or donating over one million euros for medical tools throughout the Covid pandemic he has typically taken the criticism from the media while serving to these in want behind the scenes.
Novak will all the time divide opinion. He definitely has robust beliefs and unwavering rules which may not be agreeable. For some he’ll all the time be somebody we hope to not succeed. I imagine in time although extra folks will come to understand what his colleagues already know, Novak is a hero dressed as a villain. And that was precisely what our sport wanted.
Djokovic faces world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz within the French Open semi-finals on Friday night time (AEST) — probably the most extremely anticipated showdowns this 12 months.
John Millman is an Aussie tennis veteran, with one ATP Tour title to his title and a victory over Roger Federer within the fourth spherical of the 2018 US Open.
Source: www.news.com.au
