Cynosure and composure, that’s Novak Djokovic
To say that Novak has become bigger than the sport itself may not be an exaggeration.
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Novak Djokovic (Image Credits: Reuters)
There are 128 players in the singles draw of a tennis Grand Slam. And when you add the men’s and women’s sections, the aggregate is 256. On the eve of The Championships, as the season’s third Grand Slam is known, one man out of these 256 is the cynosure. How is not important, why is important, as that one special person happens to be Novak Djokovic from Serbia.
Romantic relics who have sampled the energy and atmosphere, live, in London’s richest suburb will vouch there is nothing that can beat the premier grass-court event. Each one from the Australian Open to the French Open and then the US Open has its own ambience and flavor. Yet, if there is something heady, for players as well as spectators/fans, what Wimbledon offers is unmatched.
In the good old days, serve-and-volley sultans, men, and women loved this Grand Slam. Times have changed. Even today, as debates happen, of academic interest over the death of serve-and-volley in tennis, Novak is a bit of an outcast for many, Roger Federer included.
They feel the 36-year-old Serbian does not deserve the numero uno status or the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) label. No problem, really. Novak does not care two hoots about what the rest of the world thinks. It is that care-a-damn approach of his which marks him out as most special among the 256 in the two main draws.
Novak is that ONE person who is dreaded. He is that single guy who possesses the game and is also the master of the mind games. These factors, in addition to many other skills, mark him as truly special.
Wimbledon loves its sparkling stuff, bubbly, wines, Pimms, and expensive Champagnes. The creme de la creme, come to be seen and watch tennis. They will walk into Centre Court, the most hallowed precinct, dressed well, and also well-versed with the nuances of tennis. Yet, there has been a change, a massive one, since 2002, when an unknown and unheard-of Aussie Lleyton Hewitt tore the form book to shreds and won the title that year. It shocked the tennis world, that a guy who played from the baseline could win the title at Wimbledon.
To be sure, grass belonged to players who were quick, in terms of serving fast, executing reflex volleys, producing those daring lunges at the net. Boris Becker did it, and before him, John McEnroe was also one hell of an entertainer. Yet, all these names faded, into the shade, when quiet American Pete Sampras burst onto the scene.
For a Yank to conquer Wimbledon was outrageous, at first. But then, Pistol Pete, as he was nicknamed, had a few potent things in his arsenal which was killer. There was no big difference between his first and second serve, the kind of slam-dunk overhead which he produced would see the tennis ball thud into the corner boards. And at the net, his volleying skills were silken and sharp like the old shaving razors. With these few tricks, he mastered Wimbledon. To have won seven titles on grass, the last against Pat Rafter in a rain-interrupted final in 2000 was momentous.
In 2001, Sampras’s streak snapped. Of course, that year, wild card Goran Ivanisevic won, leaving many bookmakers paupers! Goran also had many Croats drunk for weeks, as this was the craziest thing to happen at Wimbledon.
Then came the RF era, where Roger Federer won eight titles, again with the grass court pedigree. He was, perhaps, the last man with the skills needed for winning on grass. Yet, even Federer realized, much to his chagrin, he could also be beaten at Wimbledon. After all, he had lost one final to Rafael Nadal and then to Novak in 2019. These two losses hurt Federer, as he was exposed, in many ways. Imagine, to have the best game on grass and be whacked was hard to digest.
Novak’s brand of tennis is different and lethal
Never mind, today, the story is about Novak Djokovic. To say that Novak has become bigger than the sport itself may not be an exaggeration. But history will eventually remember him as GOAT, not because of just numbers, but how he could kill people with his mental strength/abilities. If chess be the richest form of mind games on the board, in tennis, Novak is the “serial killer.”
Man or beast, winner or champion, human or Alpha Male, all these thoughts come to mind, assessing the Serbian’s chances at the 2023 Championships. He knows, winning Grand Slam titles 22 and 23 in Melbourne and Paris were not easy. Of course, he looks a bit like that bionic man, though you cannot see the “chips” with the naked eye.
The best part, Novak is no grass-court expert. Definitely, Sampras and Federer had greater skills in terms of volleying and hitting more big serves. But does that count at all? No, because Wimbledon itself destroyed grass-court tennis. Slowing down the surface, where grass blade length matters, change in watering pattern, making the underneath surface harder, ensuring the Slazenger ball is heavier and hurts the serving shoulders, so much happened.
Ah, yes, the grass is still green. Whether you watch it live, sitting inside the Centre Court, or on TV sets, the green color is there. But then, the green color is confusing in many ways as it’s not the same grass fans saw decades ago when Becker dived without fear. He was nicknamed Boom Boom Becker at that time.
Today, the boom and bang come from Novak’s tennis racket, though the brand of tennis is different. He does not play serve-and-volley stuff. His tennis is unique. It has that NJ (Novak Djokovic) tag, where solid shots on either flank kill the opponent. One guy who will vouch for it is Aussie Nick Kyrgios, who lost the final last year, tamely.
Gunning for an eighth Wimbledon title, Novak is quiet. And that is dangerous. He will not show emotions needlessly, which is his trademark. If you think he hates whatever RF has said about him not being the greatest, it makes no difference. Novak has faced criticism all his life, around the world. Hailing from Serbia, he has seen war, hostility, and much more negativity.
That is why, out of 256 guys out there in the two main draws, he happens to be No.1. F the seeding committee!
In case you missed it:
- EXCLUSIVE: Rick Macci backs Elena Rybakina and Karolina Muchova over Iga Swiatek to win 2023 Wimbledon
- Daniil Medvedev calls Wimbledon the WORST as he admits to requiring massive improvement at the Grand Slam
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)