LONDON – Anyone can have a day of rage, but Novak Djokovic is no ordinary person. The Serb’s was on July 8, 2024 in London, when in a handful of hours he got into a fight with part of the Wimbledon crowd, the BBC and one of his sponsors. After the Serb’s “rush,” John McEnroe warned that Djokovic is the Darth Vader of tennis, though that opens up a legitimate question.
Who is Luke then, perhaps Carlos Alcaraz?
Joking aside, it is striking about the Serb, who is enjoying the most placid run imaginable at Wimbledon and yet losing his temper.
Confronting part of the public in the most emblematic stadium of tenis because they sounded a “u” too extensive during a sweeping victory over the Danish Holger Rune is unbecoming of a number one. Unnecessary, excessive. Why and what for?
Getting upset with the BBC because a journalist asks him absolutely logical questions from his absolutely illogical attitude is also another sign of nervousness. Getting up after 93 seconds and leaving the interview, unacceptable. Since when is it the interviewee who decides what questions are asked? So Djokovic made a much bigger mistake than the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild a year ago at Roland Garros.
And what about the marketing lecture and product logistics he dedicated to one of his sponsors? Does Djokovic know everything about everything?
British journalist Mark Hodgkinson, author of a recent book, “Searching for Novak”, devotes a long space to explain the “dark energy” that the Serb uses to win and overcome the most difficult moments. Darth Vader, but in other words.
McEnroe says that Djokovic is mistreated, unlike what historically happened with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Swiss retired and the Spaniard is a semi-permanent absence on the tour. It can be said that they no longer bother him, that they are no longer an obstacle: he has the whole tour and the whole tennis world to himself.
His peers on the tour recognize the Serb as a legend, the media agree that he is the most successful tennis player in history and give him ample space and credit for him to express himself on any subject. Even his children enjoy his tennis and his victories from the stands at the best tournaments in the world, an unparalleled feeling in the final stretch of such an extensive career.
Why then so many nerves in Djokovic? In the final days of Wimbledon could hide a part of the answer.
One Reply to “If Djokovic is Darth Vader, who is Luke?”
mark
Djokovic is Luke and Nike is Darth Vader.