Will Novak Djokovic Ever Be Beloved?

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2022

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. His 20 Grand Slam titles place him just one behind Rafael Nadal for the most ever. He’s been ranked #1 in the world for a record 370 consecutive weeks. And he’s the defending champion heading into the French Open, which begins this weekend. But despite his brilliance on the court, Djokovic has never been beloved by tennis fans in the same way his rivals Nadal and Roger Federer have been. This past January, Djokovic found himself the center of controversy ahead of the Australian Open, when he was deported by the Australian government because of his vaccine status. Sam Borden traveled to Djokovic’s native Serbia to learn how he is preparing for his return to Grand Slam tennis following the fiasco in Australia. Borden also explains how Djokovic’s upbringing in a country that was torn apart by war has shaped his identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Sam Borden, you traveled to Serbia for this piece you've done on Novak Djokovic, who happens to be the number one tennis player in the world.
0:07.2	The guy he was currently tied with Roger Federer all time for Grand Slam titles with 20, the guy who is about to start his quest for number 21.
0:16.0	On Sunday in Paris, which would tie him for first all time, of course, with Rafa Nadal.
0:22.0	So what is on the line for Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros?
0:26.0	You know, Pablo, I kind of think it's a little bit of everything.
0:32.0	There's the tennis side that you were just talking about.
0:35.0	Obviously, he is one of the incredible talents in the sport in history and is trying to rack up the Grand Slam titles that will leave him in that position long term.
0:47.0	But I think also, for me, it's really about Novak Djokovic, the person.
0:54.0	What happened to him in January when he was deported from Australia, that was the kind of story that was seen all over the world.
1:03.0	The Australian Open is about to begin in Melbourne.
1:06.0	Without its defending men's champion, Novak Djokovic has been deported after losing his legal challenge to the cancelling of his visa.
1:14.0	The judges ruled in favor of the Australian government, who said his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID made him a threat to public health.
1:22.0	For the vast majority of the casual sports fans, the ones who don't watch tennis every week,
1:30.0	the French Open, which begins this weekend, is going to be the first time that they've thought about Novak Djokovic since that story in January.
1:39.0	In a lot of ways, it's his reentry onto the biggest stage.
1:45.0	But I also think from Djokovic's perspective, it's an opportunity to try to write the reputation that took a hit clearly in January.
1:57.0	This is a guy Pablo who has been a divisive figure in tennis for a long time.
2:02.0	And frankly, he wishes that he were seen in the same way that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are.
2:10.0	He wants to be this beloved figure, and he's not.
2:24.0	The cruel irony of wanting to be liked is that all of that wanting, all of that thirst.
2:31.0	It all tends to be the problem.
2:34.0	It tends to be at least one big reason, why lots of people are disliked in the first place.
	...

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