Novak Djokovic may not be a role model, but does he want to be?
If the above statement has any truth, then Novak Djokovic is the very embodiment of Serbia. When the world No. 1 and holder of 20 Grand Slam singles titles steps onto the tennis court, it's Serbia the one that plays against the individual on the other end of the net. It explains the almost fanatical following that he enjoys in his country, with die-hard fans who refuse to believe that he could do anything wrong.
And since Djokovic has challenged and, many would say, toppled the duopoly of the immensely popular Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he is often portrayed elsewhere as the inconvenient interloper or even the bad guy, in some quarters. record head-to-head wins against his two best contemporaries, but he is still considered the third lynchpin of the triumvirate.
As any screenwriter would agree, too many good guys are not always good for a story. One needs a villain, or at least an anti-hero, to inject some intrigue and danger into a story. With the various controversies and theories little conventions with which the Serb has been associated, including his refusal to get vaccinated, it's easy enough to paint him that way.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic walks with his team after landing at Dubai airport after the Australian Federal Court upheld the government's decision to cancel his visa to play at the Australian Open, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates United States.(Reuters)
The fact that Federer and Nadal have almost always behaved impeccably, in victory and defeat, as well as openly admiring each other, while Djokovic has often been portrayed as a petulant star who tries too hard to be loved has only accentuated that impression. Being banned from a Grand Slam tournament (US Open 2020), hosting an exhibition tour during the pandemic without any security measures, and being deported from a country is not what most people would wear as a badge of honor. Admitting that he provided incorrect information on an immigration document (the less charitable will say he lied) won't endear the Serb to those who see him as an arrogant superstar who doesn't want to play by the rules others have to.
Even on the tennis court, Djokovic presents himself as someone different from both Federer and Nadal. The Swiss star's skill on a tennis court is blindingly obvious, his shooting ability almost unmatched. There's even a David Foster Wallace's very celebrated article in The New York Times titled Roger Federer as a Religious Experience. Nadal's energy-sapping style makes his hard work and sweat on the court almost exhausting to watch, but admirable in its own way.
Djokovic, on the other hand, comes across as a metronome, his error-free play almost machine-like, making him harder for many fans to identify with. The fact that his opponents often feel like from hitting a brick wall makes your game feel a little less human.
Reflection of your country
It must be said that part of the unfavorable perception of Djokovic can be attributed to his environment, which sometimes extends to his entire country. His father, Srdan Djokovic, especially, comes across as a combustible and bitter character who feels that his son does not get his due despite his achievements on the court.
The country itself is a bit of an outlier, with a checkered history. Carved out of the former Yugoslavia in the Balkan civil war, former Serb leaders were accused of genocide against other ethnic groups and subsequently they felt the military might of Western powers. Djokovic grew up in a war-torn country with NATO bombs falling on the empty swimming pool he used as a tennis court. The country may still be suspicious of mainstream ideas emanating from the West. In many ways, his worldview may have been framed by conflict in the context of his childhood, sparking a Serbia-against-the-world sentiment. It may also explain the defiant crowds that packed Belgrade airport when Djokovic returned from Melbourne, taking selfies with him without fear of the virus. The pandemic might as well not exist in Serbia.
Alternative beliefs
When it comes to his worldview, switching to a gluten-free diet isn't the only 'interesting' belief Djokovic follows, nor is his opposition to vaccination. He's a supporter of what can be loosely called alternative medicine .
“Looking at all the documents that oriental medicine, the oldest medicine in the world, Chinese medicine is more than 5000 years old, there are different ways to heal, to keep the body in shape, to keep the mind and soul aligned .Everyone has a different way…alternative medicine plays an important role in my life,” he said, quoted by tennisworldusa.org in 2018.
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A supporter of Novak Djokovic from Serbia holds a banner reading: "We are all Nole (Novak)" during a protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, January 2, 2019. January 7, 2022. Several hundred people gathered in front of the Serbian parliament in a show of support for Serbian player Novak Djokovic as he fights against Australia's legal system in a bid to be allowed to stay in the country and compete in the Australian Open later this month.(AP Photo/ Darko Vojinovic)
It explains the Serb's reluctance to have elbow surgery, which led to his split from Andre Agassi in 2017. Djokovic resisted going under the knife, believing the injury would heal with alternative treatment. He said he cried for three days because "every time I thought about what I did, I felt like I had failed myself," he told The Telegraph. It's also solidified by his reluctance to get the coronavirus vaccine.
His wife, Jelena, has been known to promote theories such as 5G networks cause covid-19. The partnership with Spanish tennis coach Pepe Imaz resulted in Djokovic's gesture of turning to all four sides of the court and show love to the fans from your heart after every victory. It is a ritual that is followed even if the crowd has been cheering for your opponent throughout the match. It is part of a visualization technique that helps you in high-pressure situations and was used in the memorable 2019 Wimbledon final against Federer, where Djokovic was considered the antagonist by fans.
“When the crowd chants 'Roger,' I listen to Novak. I try to convince myself,” he said after the game. Whatever may be said about these notions, they definitely work for him, which makes him a better and more successful tennis player.
Some of the Djokovics' other beliefs include positive thinking that changes the composition of food and water, and four pyramid-shaped hills in a small Bosnian town that have healing powers.
He also believes that telekinesis and telepathy are "gifts from this higher order, the source, the god, whatever, that allows us to understand the higher power and higher order in ourselves."
her own man
Of course, whatever Djokovic believes is his own business, and by not getting vaccinated, he's just exercising personal choice. But by openly expressing views not supported by science, he may be influencing his legions of supporters and fans in the wrong direction.
All of this does not necessarily make Djokovic a bad person. Many of his contemporaries on tour attest to his helpful and caring gestures, and his various philanthropic initiatives are not talked about as much as those of Federer and Nadal.
He was unable to play the Australian Open and from there passed on the opportunity to break the Grand Slam tie with his big rivals. It is also unclear when he will return to the court, as the rise of the virus has necessitated more restrictions and conditions on international travel. Perhaps, Djokovic is confident that the pandemic will subside soon so he can be business as usual. Or he may be persuaded to finally take the jab. Who knows!
But whenever and wherever he competes next, it would be interesting to see the reception he gets from tennis fans. He's a divisive character in the world of sports, and not the kind of role model many have in mind .But then, you may not want to be one.
Next time it's on the court, though, it's sure to be the box office in terms of ratings and fans, if they're allowed in the stands in the first place.