Photo courtesy of Yann Caradec's Flickr Page - Novak Djokovic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_bretagne_a_paris/5763317762
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
It is scary to see just how good Novak Djokovic looks right now. To win the semifinal match while conceding all of six games, and then to beat Nadal as convincingly as he did, in straight sets, makes him look head and shoulders ahead of everyone else right about now. Frankly, it makes him look right where he now belongs: in serious discussions about just who the greatest men's tennis player is. It seems fair to mention that the main other players in that discussion are likely his biggest rivals, and both still active players: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
What amazes me is how humble and genuinely likable all three guys seem to be, although that may be particularly true in the case of Djokovic. He often is now quite the crowd favorite in the instant way that Federer and Nadal are, and that surprises me a bit, too. There is something about Djokovic that I find particularly friendly, charming, and even wise. He blew me away shortly after losing the 2015 French Open final to Stan Wawrinka - and remember, that was a devastating loss, as he had just finally knocked out Nadal on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, only to then lose to Wawrinka and be denied the career Grand Slam. Somehow, I misplaced the quote somewhere, but he posted it on Facebook, and yes, there was true wisdom and inner power reflected in that quote. It was not the usual, often mindless motivational stuff that other athletes use to either motivate themselves, or to overcome a professional disappointment. Rather, it seemed to reflect a different view of the world, and an enlightened one at that. It transcended sports or professional disappointments, and it was from that point onward that I began to pay particular attention to Djokovic and what he has managed to accomplish.
Remember, this guy grew up practicing tennis on courts that had been bombed out, due to the war in the former Yugoslavia. He knew some hardships, and knows something about personal suffering, as well as being in a nation that is suffering. That helped to build his character, and is the reason that he seems especially genuine and likable, despite all of his success. Plus, he has a great sense of humor, and seems to truly know just how lucky, how privileged, he is to be in the position that he is in. He remembers where he came from.
Plus, he has overcome some professional adversity. First of all, let's face it: he came on the scene just as Federer and Nadal were clearly establishing themselves as the two premier tennis players in the world. I remember him first in 2007, when he began to reach the semi-finals at Grand Slams with regularity, and when he was looking like a young and emerging, rising star in his own right. He was pretty funny, too. Watch this:
As I mentioned earlier, he seems genuinely appreciative of his success, and the life that professional tennis has allowed him to enjoy to the degree that he can now enjoy it. And he is back on top of that tennis world, overcoming serious injury issues and working very hard to do so. Here is what he offered in reflecting about how he came to end last year as, once again, the top-ranked men's player in the world:
"If someone told me (I would end the year as No. 1) at that time, it was looking quite improbable," he told reporters afterwards. "Not just ranking-wise, I wasn't playing even close to where I wanted to be at in terms of (the) level of tennis.
"No one likes to lose, and I've just come off court, but you see things a bit differently. All the positive things that I have to reflect on and also take from this season, especially the last six months."
Nobody deserves it more than Djokovic does right now. He deserves the respect that he has earned on the court. And he has done this while overcoming adversity, both on and off the court, and from a young age, right up to the present. We should all be proud to have such a champion on top in the tennis world.
Below is the article that I used to write this particular blog entry, as well as where I got all of the quotes from Djokovic which I used above:
What amazes me is how humble and genuinely likable all three guys seem to be, although that may be particularly true in the case of Djokovic. He often is now quite the crowd favorite in the instant way that Federer and Nadal are, and that surprises me a bit, too. There is something about Djokovic that I find particularly friendly, charming, and even wise. He blew me away shortly after losing the 2015 French Open final to Stan Wawrinka - and remember, that was a devastating loss, as he had just finally knocked out Nadal on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, only to then lose to Wawrinka and be denied the career Grand Slam. Somehow, I misplaced the quote somewhere, but he posted it on Facebook, and yes, there was true wisdom and inner power reflected in that quote. It was not the usual, often mindless motivational stuff that other athletes use to either motivate themselves, or to overcome a professional disappointment. Rather, it seemed to reflect a different view of the world, and an enlightened one at that. It transcended sports or professional disappointments, and it was from that point onward that I began to pay particular attention to Djokovic and what he has managed to accomplish.
Remember, this guy grew up practicing tennis on courts that had been bombed out, due to the war in the former Yugoslavia. He knew some hardships, and knows something about personal suffering, as well as being in a nation that is suffering. That helped to build his character, and is the reason that he seems especially genuine and likable, despite all of his success. Plus, he has a great sense of humor, and seems to truly know just how lucky, how privileged, he is to be in the position that he is in. He remembers where he came from.
Plus, he has overcome some professional adversity. First of all, let's face it: he came on the scene just as Federer and Nadal were clearly establishing themselves as the two premier tennis players in the world. I remember him first in 2007, when he began to reach the semi-finals at Grand Slams with regularity, and when he was looking like a young and emerging, rising star in his own right. He was pretty funny, too. Watch this:
As I mentioned earlier, he seems genuinely appreciative of his success, and the life that professional tennis has allowed him to enjoy to the degree that he can now enjoy it. And he is back on top of that tennis world, overcoming serious injury issues and working very hard to do so. Here is what he offered in reflecting about how he came to end last year as, once again, the top-ranked men's player in the world:
"If someone told me (I would end the year as No. 1) at that time, it was looking quite improbable," he told reporters afterwards. "Not just ranking-wise, I wasn't playing even close to where I wanted to be at in terms of (the) level of tennis.
"No one likes to lose, and I've just come off court, but you see things a bit differently. All the positive things that I have to reflect on and also take from this season, especially the last six months."
Nobody deserves it more than Djokovic does right now. He deserves the respect that he has earned on the court. And he has done this while overcoming adversity, both on and off the court, and from a young age, right up to the present. We should all be proud to have such a champion on top in the tennis world.
Below is the article that I used to write this particular blog entry, as well as where I got all of the quotes from Djokovic which I used above:
Djokovic still upbeat despite Finals loss by Reuters, November 19, 2018:
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/djokovic-still-upbeat-despite-finals-loss
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