No Djoking

Novak Djokovic took tennis fans for one hell of a roller-coaster ride in 2021. It has been a year when the 34-year-old Serbian dictated and dominated the sport around the globe. The blemish, so to say, came at the US Open final when he lost in straight sets to champion Daniil Medvedev from Russia.

A straight-set defeat for Djokovic was hard to digest. Or to put it more aptly, it was unpalatable. For a man who won the previous three Grand Slam titles this year — Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — the loss in New York hurt.

He cried, nay wept, buried his face in the towel during changeover, was furious with his racquet and smashed it as well. For a man who gets racquets, apparel and all tennis gear free, plus money for using it, smashing the racquet spoke volumes about his mental state.

Pressure, a word so often used in sport, did come into play with Djokovic as well. For those not familiar with Djokovic, pressure did not bug him only at the US Open, it had started preying on him right after Wimbledon, as the next event was the Tokyo Olympics.

After all, Djokovic was supposed to complete the Golden Slam — win four Grand Slam titles plus the Olympics gold. Both did not happen and it now eases the pressure on the champion. Tennis fans who have watched generation after generation wield the tennis racquet will vouch Djokovic is unique in many ways.

The debate on who is the greatest will keep cropping up. Loyalties will be divided between Roger Federer, who is certainly ageing and past prime and Rafael Nadal. For some, hearts are with Federer and, for some, hormones are with Nadal.

In 2021, Djokovic won his 18th, 19th and 20th Grand Slam titles to come at par with Federer and Nadal. The 21st would have been super special but Djokovic failed. Yes, the Serbian failed to live up to his own lofty standards but one must not forget he won 27 out of the 28 maximum possible Grand Slam matches this year. One blemish cannot make him ugly.

Frankly speaking, it is good that pressure affected Djokovic the most in New York. If not, he would be a robot and not human. When Djokovic cried after the loss in the final, there was pain in his heart. He felt it and so did we.

"Of course, part of me is very sad. It's a tough one to swallow, this loss, I mean, considering everything that was on the line," Djokovic said. "But on the other hand, I felt something I never felt in my life here in New York. The crowd made me [feel] very special. They pleasantly surprised me," said Djokovic.

Tennis fans are a unique species. They are biased and they also have their favourites. A Federer fan may dislike Nadal and Djokovic. It works the other way as well. Yet, if you call for a survey on Djokovic, he is a very nice guy.

They say nice guys don't win. This guy, Djokovic, does. Proof of it is his survival and success on the ATP tour, where he has been part of the theatre for such a long time now. Had it been any other player, the sheer pressure of competing along with the other two greats — Federer and Nadal — would have imposed extra burden.

Tennis historians are still going gaga over the last man to win the calendar Grand Slam in 1959. Rod Laver, nicknamed rocket, won all four in one year in 1969. Laver, now settled in California, can smile as his record is intact. But he too knows that tennis played 52 years ago is very different from today.

In the modern age, where racquet technology has become so sophisticated and the tennis ball itself has been made heavier through the air to slow down the game, it calls for skill and will to keep playing and winning.

Tennis today is not only different from the Laver era but also the Bjorn Borg era, the John McEnroe era and also the Pete Sampras era. Modern tennis in 2021 is fitness, plus speed, plus having a body which can take any amount of beating and withstanding pressure. Djokovic is malleable and ductile, like metal, in many ways.

He is metal plus mettle, so it's just a matter of time before he wins his 21st Grand Slam title. It should happen in 2022, when the Grand Slam tennis season resumes in Australia. Having come to terms with intense pressure, perhaps for the first time like this, Djokovic knows what he needs to do to get that sharper, extra edge. It has nothing to do with his game or fitness but how he has to deal with the situation mentally.

Sample this, Serena Williams has been needing just one more Grand Slam singles to become the greatest in terms of numbers and come on par with Margaret Court. She has a collection of 23 Grand Slam titles, one behind Margaret Court. The American has come close to equalling the record in the last three years a few times but fails. Age plus anxiety and how youngsters are much sharper makes it that much harder for Serena.

Luckily, Djokovic has no such problems. He knows that apart from Federer and Nadal, the romantic relics who will want to be part of the 2022 season, younger players will also fancy their chances. However, unlike Serena, Djokovic is physically and mentally much stronger. If anything, he will play better when the favourites are also around as has been the case for now well over a decade.

Till yesterday, it appeared like a simple contest between Federer and Nadal on who the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is. Djokovic has, in 2021, added a third dimension to it. He knows he is not loved as much as the two other players but does not mind it. Djokovic also knows the fan following which his rivals enjoy is much greater.

After the 2020 US Open, Djokovic had become an outcast. He had, inadvertently, smashed the ball into a line judge's throat and was thrown out of the US Open. In 2021, Djokovic

made up for it with great behaviour and the ability to produce a rich tapestry of tennis, not just in New York but the three other Grand Slams.

"The amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I'll remember forever. That's the reason on the changeover I just teared up. The emotion, the energy was so strong. It's as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That's how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special," said Djokovic after the final in New York.

Djokovic has been world no. one for a long time and will also be competing in the year-end ATP finale. For a tough man like him, disappointment and sadness cannot be permanent. And that is why he is the toughest of them all.

Views expressed are personal