Djokovic keeps trending for the right reasons

COMETH the hour, cometh the man. Reinstated World No 1 and US Open champion Novak Djokovic chose the perfect venue at which to make history and draw level with Australian Margaret Court’s 24 Grand Slam record.

Lest we forget, GOAT Serena Williams also had an opportunity, as a 2018 finalist, to clinch her 24th title, at Arthur Ashe, against Japan’s Naomi Osaka and failed.

But for the ultimate GOAT, this was a Slam from which he has previously been pettily ejected for hitting a ball into the crowd and unintentionally hitting a line lady, humiliated when Russian Daniil Medvedev beat him, preventing his highly anticipated Calendar Slam, and thereafter banned on account of his anti-vaccine stance.

To say Djokovic boomeranged back onto Arthur Ashe as a man as intent on revenge as breaking world records, would be an understatement.

The fact is he did it. And he did it in premeditated style, with Oscar-winning Matthew McConaughey watching from his box and the 24 Slam T-shirt already printed, an illustration of the mighty Serb’s Teflon mindset.

Yet what I admire most about Djokovic is that two days after this colossal feat he was on a plane to Valencia to help Serbia win the Davis Cup in today’s Group Final ties against the Czech Republic.

Remember that Djokovic, like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray, has already succeeded in winning the Davis Cup for his country. Once is never enough for Djokovic, be it for himself, or for his countrymen.

Whereas defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, still licking his wounds after losing to American Ben Shelton in the semis last week, has pulled out of the depleted Spanish Davis Cup team, in action against none other than Serbia yesterday.

On the subject of patriotism, Britain’s Jack Draper was selected over and above current British No 1, Cameron Norrie, and former No 1, Murray, together with Dan Evans to play in their Davis Cup countdown.

Draper surpassed his compatriots in reaching the Last 16 at Flushing Meadow and again he – and Evans – rose to the occasion.

On the same day Ben Stokes came out of One-Day international cricket retirement to hit a record-breaking 182 runs for England to win against New Zealand, Draper came from a set down to beat Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in his singles tie.

Evans followed suit, felling Australia’s No 1, Alex De Minaur, and putting Team GB in an unassailable position against their national arch rivals who looked stronger on paper. As it turned out, the Brit’s net play saved the day.

Sadly there was a less illustrious turn of events on the WTA Tour in the wake of American Coco Gauff’s fairytale first Major crown, emulating British teenager Emma Raducanu’s extraordinary 2021 US Open victory.

Co-finalist and new No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, supposedly the epitome of grace in defeat, was subsequently caught smashing her racket to smithereens, in the so-called privacy of the locker rooms.

Given Sabalenka has been selected to star in the controversial Netflix series, “Breakpoint”, highlighting the dark side of ‘rising stars’ lives on Tour, one can’t help wondering whether she was genuinely reacting to the frustration of losing to a lower ranked opponent, or reality “acting” for the ‘hidden’ camera on cue.

Another irrefutable battle lost is that of former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep officially banned from playing the WTA circuit for four years after a guilty verdict for using banned blood boosters.

Suffering such self-inflicted despair would make her the better candidate for “Breakpoint” – or the curse associated with whoever has signed up for it to date.

DEBORAH CURTIS-SETCHELL