‘Everyone was quick to judge him’, Serbian journalist on Novak’s disqualification

Sasa Ozmo, a Serbian journalist who is thought to be quite close to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, believes that the international media does not give him the respect he deserves. He also affirmed Djokovic’s fans of his unfair treatment of disqualification in the US Open this year.

‘Novak is treated unfairly by the international media’

“Many feel that he has been disadvantaged. To understand that, you have to see the big picture,” Ozmo told Tages-Anzeiger Sport. “How Novak is treated by the international media and sometimes by the Grand Slams does not correspond with what he has achieved in his career.”

Ozmo also believed that, though fans were quick enough to judge the Top seed for what was essentially a mistake at the US Open, they provide deliverance on stalling to players Federer and Nadal. He backed his claim by putting forward an example from the last year’s French Open. He said, “A scene suddenly occurs to me: Roger Federer slammed against Rafael in the Paris semifinals last year, almost got the ball out of rage from the stadium.

“The spectators in the first rows were shocked because at first, they thought he was shooting at them. But Federer didn’t have to answer a question about it in the press conference. Had Novak done that, it would only have been talked about. Everything he does is always viewed critically. That is why many in Serbia have the feeling that he has now been disadvantaged at the US Open.”

However, Ozmo also put forward his belief of the Serb’s disqualification being fair. “But anyone who takes a closer look at tennis knows that it was a disqualification. No question.” he stated.

The present perception that prevails in the tennis community is that the World No. 1 is not given equal respect and affection as his Big three counterparts, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Ozmo further states that though Djokovic has been affected by the fiasco early in career, he has learnt his way to thrive amidst the minimal support.

“I think it bothered him even more in the past,” said the journalist. “Over time, he found a way to deal with it, even to use it to his advantage. We all know what the atmosphere was like at the 2015 US Open or at Wimbledon 2019 against Federer. I think that when the game is over he would of course have liked more people to support him,” Ozmo went on. “But during the game, that only makes him more determined. If he is in mode of ‘me against the world’, he is very difficult to beat.”

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