Djokovic enjoys his moment in sun
World’s top-ranked player understands this time in spotlight won’t last forever
Novak Djokovic entered the Rogers Cup aware he’d be the lone representative from among the super elite of men’s tennis, sharing both the spotlight and the tournament’s marketing burden with homegrown star Milos Raonic.
Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer are absent, but Djokovic’s image graces a pillar outside the Aviva Centre at York University. And with no Andy Murray, it’s Djokovic’s glare, emblazoned on a massive poster, bearing down on reporters in the stadium’s media centre.
Djokovic opened his Rogers Cup with a hard-fought two-set win over Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, saluting fans on all four sides of the court as the largest crowd of the week showered him with cheers.
But even as Djokovic enjoys the acclaim that comes with being the tournament’s top seed and the planet’s best player, he realizes his monopoly on the spotlight won’t last forever.
“Obviously we have a new generation coming up that is already established in top 10 of the world, like Nishikori and Raonic and now Dominic Thiem,” said Djokovic, a threetime Rogers Cup champ. “It’s a natural cycle of life and sport. New faces are coming up and challenging the best players in the world.”
When Djokovic took the court, his supporters gathered in clusters inside the Aviva Centre’s main stadium, hanging Serbian flags from the railing and chanting his name during changeovers.
They also sat through some tense moments as Muller, ranked 37th worldwide, worked his serve-andvolley game. Djokovic wouldn’t break Muller’s serve until the 11th game of an opening set he would win 7-5.
Muller, who entered Wednesday winless in two head-to-head meetings with Djokovic, led the second set 6-5, before the tournament’s top seed won the next game then took the tiebreaker. The 33-year-old recorded 11 aces, compared with three for Djokovic, but won just 58 per cent of service points while Djokovic won 73 per cent.
Before Djokovic and Muller took centre court, third seed Kei Nishikori dispatched American Dennis Novikov 6-4, 7-5. With big stars missing, and occupying the draw opposite Djokovic and Raonic, Nishikori sees an opportunity for a big result and the ATP tour points it would bring.
“I think we (are) always looking for the chance,” said Nishikori, ranked sixth in the world. “It’s going to be big challenge for us to play against them and win some matches.”
On the grandstand court, Radek Stepanek eliminated Canada’s Peter Polansky 7-6, 6-4. France’s Gael Monfils, meanwhile, dispatched Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (6), 6-0.
Stepanek’s win earns him a date with Djokovic, who says he, too, con- sidered skipping the tournament.
Unlike Raonic, who will bypass the Rio Olympics to avoid exposure to the Zika virus, Djokovic said his research told him there was minimal risk of getting sick.
But the Olympics crowd the summer schedule, with Toronto coming after Wimbledon and before Rio and the U.S. Open. While most stars chose either Rio or Toronto, Djokov- ic says his third-round loss at in London opened up the rest of his summer.
“I actually think Toronto is a great way for me to . . . prepare for Olympic Games and what’s coming up after that,” Djokovic said. “I enjoy Canada, both cities, Toronto and Montreal, and the past results in history shows that I have a good time on Canadian soil, so I try to get the best out of it.”