NOVAK’S DOUBLE FAULT
Daft Djokovic has put his health at risk and trashed his brand
Novak Djokovic had a dream to take his adria Tour around the Balkans during the current hiatus — and ended up turning it into a tennis version of March’s cheltenham Festival.
How many people will have ended up infected with covid-19 as a result of it going ahead amid scenes of players and crowds packing close together? We may never know, but there will be a toll, even in a region that has endured less hardship and loss than many in recent months.
Finally Djokovic came up against one opponent he could not beat: scientific and medical reality. He thought he could defy them in the way he has been seeing off every other adversary for years, which is why he and wife jelena are now in self-isolation after testing positive for covid.
The 33-year-old Serb’s headstrong sense of self-belief has served him magnificently in his journey to becoming one of the world’s greatest-ever players.
in other areas much less so. Following his diagnosis (and the abrupt abandonment of his adria project) his reputation is more battered than the centre court’s baseline after a fortnight’s play.
Djokovic and the five other direct participants who are among those now isolating — including his fitness trainer — have time to repent at leisure.
Whether or not it will lead the world No1 to reconsider his deep mistrust of conventional medical wisdom is another matter.
There was little sign of contrition in yesterday’s initial statement about the conduct of the adria Tour, during which it appeared he was encouraging others to ignore social distancing.
The picture of him and the likes of Grigor Dimitrov cavorting halfnaked in a Belgrade nightclub, or grappling on a basketball court, will be among the emblems of this very strange sporting year.
Djokovic’s left-field beliefs on health matters have been known for years, but have been brought into focus during this whole unsettling period.
This is someone who admitted weeping when he realised natural healing could not cure a long-standing elbow problem.
When lockdown came, his restless mind went into overdrive. First his wife posted 5G conspiracy theories on social media, then came his anti-vaccine stance and cringeworthy online love-ins with health ‘guru’ and entrepreneur chervin jafarieh. among the theories they swapped was a belief that positive thought could cleanse toxic water.
Djokovic believes in mind over matter, which, coupled with an extraordinary athletic ability, is why he is vying with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to win the most men’s Grand Slam events in history. You wonder how all this will affect that incredible race.
if Djokovic has a vulnerability it is that he cares, a lot, about the way he is less popular than his big rivals. His tanking in the second set in last year’s Wimbledon final was an example, a reaction to the crowd being so overwhelmingly in favour of Federer.
His loss of standing among fans and perceived disservice to the global fight against coronavirus may not help him in future battles (although his bloody-minded determination saw him through last year’s Wimbledon decider against an ageing opponent).
More parochially, his esteem within the game has been flattened. if tennis operated like a normal business he would now be forced to resign as president of the aTP Player council.
This might yet happen as many in the parish are furious at the way he has undermined attempts to try to get the international show back on the road.
Rarely does truth publicly speak to power in a leaderless, star dominated sport like tennis, so the intervention of respected Brazilian doubles specialist Bruno Soares has been notable.
jamie Murray’s former doubles partner, and Djokovic’s fellow council member, Soares told
Globo Esporte the recent antics showed ‘enormous irresponsibility and huge immaturity. They were totally careless. it’s difficult for me to find the words. i sum it up as a horror show.’
all those involved, especially in the nightclub shenanigans, have trashed their own brand, none more than Djokovic. in time, the adria Tour would be a suitable subject for one of the documentaries that have proved so popular of late. Let us hope there are no tragic endings.