Tennis is an individual sport. Only Novak Djokovic treated it like a team game and stood up for every single player - no matter their ranking. Now in his hour of need most of them have chosen to keep quiet.
#AusOpen
Novak goes to do press after making the Semi-finals at the
#USOpen
and the first question he is asked is "why do you give your team a hard time"?! Inane question asked by an official US Open reporter (Richard Osborn) See the beautiful, evocative answer from Djokovic.
When Monica Seles was stabbed, 13 of top 15 WTA players voted for her
#1
ranking to NOT remain protected while she recovered from injury. Such is the degree of individualism & selfishness displayed in tennis. No surprise that almost all players at
#AO2022
are quiet about Novak.
People ask why I support Djokovic. I support him for a variety of reasons (including his style of playing tennis) but most importantly because he has the capacity to deal with extreme hate head-on & respond with love, patience, grace & goodwill. The world needs leaders like him!
Novak was asked by the Spanish press at the Davis Cup whether he missed the presence of Roger and Rafa on the tour. Hear his deep and witty reply in perfect Spanish.
Willie Weinbaum from ESPN: "Ben what did you learn about Novak Djokovic today?"
Ben Shelton: "I learnt that Novak is a guy who can compete at the highest level"
😂😱🤦♂️
I am so glad Novak stayed on in Australia to fight for his right to compete. Running away to a safe haven would have been a very Federer/Nadal thing to do.
So Novak was not a threat to "good health and public interest" in Australia on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday but suddenly became a threat at 6 pm on a Friday!
This is my favourite part of the interview. Novak translating into Serbian and Italian some of McEnroe's choicest phrases when angry on a tennis court. Enjoy!
New rule at Grand Slams: Toilet breaks - only Nadal is allowed to take them (especially after a medical time out). No one else - ok? Not Tsitsipas, not Shapovalov and definitely not Djokovic.
Interviewer: "Was it different playing Djokovic from what you expected watching him on TV?"
Ben Shelton: "Umm, aah, I dont think I really watched Novak on TV, just saw the tapes of his last few matches before today."
This guy really needs a lesson in tennis history!
This has got to be the worst question asked to Djokovic in a Grand Slam press conference. Btw the person asking the question (William Weinbaum, ESPN) got a cool, calm and collected response from Novak - classy as always. (Wimbledon QF 2021)
"No I have no regrets, I have learnt through life that regrets only hold you back & make you live in the past. I feel that staying true to myself & my beliefs & my rights is above everything." So proud of Novak Djokovic as he returns to compete at the US Open'23 on his own terms!
McEnroe ends the first part of the interview with a warning to other players, "its not easy to get the better of Novak, if you ever do, the Djoker always finds a way to punch back. That's why he is the most resilient player. Novak isn't just the best, he's the best of all time."
Who is the tennis player (veteran or current) who has most disappointed you with their comments on the Djokovic saga? For me it is Martina Navratilova.
Tennis is a game where two men chase a tennis ball and in the end Novak Djokovic wins. Unless they get the Government of a whole country to block him that is.
Bizarre answers from Ben Shelton in his press conference today. He claims he didnt see the celebration from Novak till after the match, when it clearly appeared as though he did. Also refers to Novak as "No. 2 player in the world" as if that is his only identity.
#USOpen
Novak: I am going to enjoy the Shelton- Tiafoe match while sipping a drink
Stubbs: Wait what kind of drink?
Novak: Water with lemon, that's what I drink
#USOpen
"I told him at the net 'keep it up.' We're going to have many more battles I think,"...Roger Federer after beating Djokovic in the US Open final 2007. That remains the last (and only) Grand Slam final Federer won against Novak.
Novak Djokovic's medical exemption to be able to enter Australia was granted on 30 December and is valid till May 2022. So he can stay in Melbourne for another 4 months if he wants to.
Imagine if at the height of their powers, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps were prevented from competing in their respective events at the Olympics?
Removing Djokovic from the
#AusOpen
has had the same impact.
Novak has done a brilliant interview with John McEnroe for ESPN+. Some excerpts. Djokovic talks about how he knew Roger was going to serve out wide when serving at 40-15 in the USO SF 2011. He felt that was Roger's "go to serve" against Novak & guess what Novak read it spot on!
Is it true that you cannot enter Australia if you have had COVID in the last 14 days? If so - how on earth did Rafael Nadal make it in on the 30th of December when he publicly informed everyone of having had COVID only 10 days ago? 🤔🤫🤭😳
My favourite match from the Djokovic - Nadal rivalry (especially the celebration at the end). Australian Open 2012 Final. The third GS final in a row that Djokovic beat Nadal in. At 5 hrs 53 min, the longest singles final in the Open Era. Arguably the best match ever played.
Seeing tweets saying Shelton wasn't trash talking against Novak. Here are a few examples just from the first set:
1. At 2-2 Shelton says, "he is shading"
2. At 5-3 says "He doesn't have the serve"
3. At 5-3, 30-30, "his serve is not working"
4. Laughing at a missed first serve
Reading the submission by Djokovic's lawyers - it is clear that Novak was harassed while being questioned by the Australian Border authorities & coerced into agreeing for a "quick" decision to be made regarding his visa in the early hours of 06/01 with no access to his counsel.
We all remember "40-15" at Wimbledon. But how many of us remember the "15-40" moment at the US Open? I believe this is the point where Djokovic finally broke the jinx of losing the big matches at Grand Slams. On the 12th anniversary of that moment below is a refresher.
Novak on Rafa's reactions to his impersonations of him. "Early on in my career, when he was kicking my a** on the tennis court, he was ok with that, but when I started winning a few matches I felt like the energy shifted a bit."
Looks like no one in Australia is worried about Novak's mental health (what to talk about his physical well-being). So much for all those journalists going on about the importance of keeping a focus on mental health issues ever since the Naomi Osaka fiasco at Roland Garros.
The sham Grand Slam
#AustralianOpen2022
will be over today. But do not let them make you forget the injustice meted out to Novak Djokovic and Renata Voráčová.
#AustraliaHasFallen
100% agree with how Victoria Azarenka handled the inane question from the media on Novak's Dad. A cooked up controversy to distract from the wonderful tennis on display!
#AustralianOpen
(1/2)
Djokovic would have ripped through this draw and been deservedly crowned champion on 30th January, 2022. One of the biggest "what if" moments in the history of sport.
#AO2022
Witness the calmness and serenity with which Djokovic deals with yet another pesky reporter asking a provocative question. This time about his Dad. Not only is Novak GOAT on the tennis court he is also a GOAT in dealing with the media.
#AustralianOpen
2019 Wimbledon Final: the match that ended Roger Federer's career
2021 Roland Garros Semi-final: the match that ended Rafael Nadal's career
One thing common between these 2 matches: Novak Djokovic
Why would the Wimbledon crowd boo Victoria Azarenka? It makes no sense. It was Svitolina who has unilaterally decided not to shake hands with certain players. I feel sorry for
@vika7
!
Sometimes I feel there is a dedicated PR machinery working to malign Novak Djokovic. Each & every action of his is blown out of proportion and presented as a gross misdemeanour while all his acts of kindness and generosity are glossed over.
#fedup
Carlos Alcaraz accepts that his father did indeed film Novak's practice session. Please see for yourself and make your own opinions about his statement. Lets hear them in the comments.
#WIMBLEDON
Wimbledon 2019, 2 sets all, 12-12 in the fifth. Then this tiebreak happens. Given the circumstances, this has to be the best tiebreak Novak has ever played in his life. Especially the points at 4-3 and 5-3. Absolute legend!
This may be obvious to some but not to others and therefore bears repeating: The conduct of the Australian border authorities in dealing with the Djokovic matter on the morning of 6th January has been absolutely appalling and is a violation of basic human rights.
Ivan Lendl's record of 270 weeks at number 1 got broken in 9 years.
Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at number 1 got broken in 13 years.
Roger Federer's record of 310 weeks at number 1 got broken in less than 3 years. That is the power of Novak Djokovic!
#GOAT
Rennae Stubbs once again tries to trip up Novak by asking a question about his interactions with his box during a match. See how gracefully he handles it and doesn't say anything controversial much to Rennae's chagrin.
#USOpen
This is an example of a clear "hindrance" by Carlos Alcaraz during play due to the loud noise he makes while hitting the ball which gets strangely louder as the rally progresses or as he is about to hit a winner. Of course he will never get called out for it.
Your daily reminder that there is no regular PCR testing happening at the
#AusOpen
- they are assuming everything will be fine on its own and no one will catch COVID miraculously. So, essentially the tournament will carry on even if many players & volunteers are infected on-site!
"Honestly, I don't care who I play next, all I care at this moment is to sleep and recuperate this 36 year old body!"
These late night sessions are taking a toll on Novak and it shows. Hope
#USOpen
is kinder with the scheduling going forward!
William Weinbaum,who has a history of asking malicious questions to Novak, including "do you feel you are the bad guy chasing Federer & Nadal" does it again.He asks Novak what does Fritz need to do to have a chance against him! Do they even think these questions through?
#USOpen
Never before in the history of sport, has a premier athlete been treated with so much disrespect by the Government of a country.
#Australia
I am looking at you here.
At some point tennis "fans" in stadiums across the world need to introspect on why they want to treat one player (who is an all time great) so poorly? Do they really even pause to think that he is also a fellow human being with feelings? Stop the constant hate against
#Djokovic
!