The Serb has long been seeking the missing ingredient to make him an equal of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the hearts of tennis fans
The Serb has long been seeking the missing ingredient to make him an equal of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the hearts of tennis fans
Novak Djokovic is already a sporting immortal but he will be desperately hoping he is finally becoming a “people’s champion” after winning a seventh Wimbledon crown on Sunday.
The Serb has long been seeking the missing ingredient to make him an equal of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the hearts of tennis fans.
His four-set victory over unseeded Nick Kyrgios nudges him ahead of Federer into second place in the all-time list of Grand Slam men’s winners with 21 titles, one behind Nadal.
Djokovic nibbled a blade of grass in his customary celebration before making his “cup of love” gesture to all corners of the Centre Court, who roared their approval for the champion.
While Federer and Nadal enjoy an almost god-like status in the game, the Serb has been a player that fans have found more difficult to love.
Many had already picked either the Swiss or the Spaniard as “their man” by the time Djokovic won his first major in 2008, leaving him in a position as the awkward interloper.
The Serb, who left Belgrade when he was 12 to train in Munich and escape NATO’s bombardment of his home city, is a spikier character than the smooth, unruffled Federer or the self-effacing Nadal.
Fiery character
His infamous default from the US Open in 2020 for petulantly swiping at a ball that hit a female line judge gave a glimpse of his fiery character.
And some of his personal beliefs have drawn criticism — including his refusal to have the coronavirus vaccine, a decision that cost him a place in this year’s Australian Open.
One claim that raised eyebrows was his belief that it was possible to alter the composition of water and food through positive thinking.
Djokovic — so used to battling the crowd along with his opponent — appeared to have turned a corner at last year’s US Open final, which he lost to Daniil Medvedev
He received heartfelt support from fans urging him to fight back against Medvedev but it was ultimately in vain as he missed his chance to become the first man to win a calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.
“The amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something I’ll remember forever,” he said, giving an indication of how much it means to…
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