The only time Novak Djokovic’s performance has been questioned throughout the previous 11 years of men’s tennis, during which he has risen to supremacy and improbably positioned himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game, was after he sustained an elbow injury in the summer of 2017.
The injury caused a rift between him and his then-coach, Andre Agassi, who subsequently admitted to rushing to recommend surgery. Djokovic, on the other hand, dealt with the injury by resting for nearly six months, thinking that his body was designed to cure itself. It was not the case. Djokovic underwent surgery in February 2018 after returning to soreness and early defeats the following year. As he processed his remorse for agreeing to the procedure, he cried for days.
Djokovic conducted his first complete interview since his expulsion from Australia, where he had gone to play in the Open despite not having been vaccinated against Covid. Djokovic stated that, in a global sport that transfers from country to country every week, his lack of vaccinations prevents him from competing in the majority of tournaments. He stated, “That is the price I am ready to pay.”
In the same breath, Djokovic added with a smirk that he knew his actions may rob him of the opportunity to win the grandest slam events in tennis history.
Djokovic’s tenacity has proven to be an outstanding characteristic throughout his career. He rose to prominence at a time when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were vying for the title of finest of their age, and he not only had the chutzpah to believe he could break the duopoly, despite the fact that so many others disintegrated in their presence, but he accomplished it over time. He’s spent his whole career bouncing back from insurmountable deficits, defeating critics who predicted his downfall.
