Novak Djokovic is leaving a 'complicated' legacy off the court
Even by the standards of Novak Djokovic's eventful tennis career -- replete with trophies and jaw-dropping performances, but also peppered with controversy -- the circumstances ahead of this year's Australian Open have been extraordinary.
(CNN)Even by the standards of Novak Djokovic's eventful tennis vocation -- replete with trophies and jaw-dropping performances, but besides peppered with contention -- the circumstances up of this year's Australian Open person been extraordinary.
"I spot beingness arsenic a large learning curve," Djokovic told CNN successful an interrogation past year, "and I consciousness implicit the years I learned however to bounce back."
That quality to bounce backmost volition beryllium enactment to the trial successful the coming days arsenic the satellite No. 1 continues to endure a turbulent commencement to the year.
Arriving successful Australia unvaccinated but with a aesculapian exemption to vie pursuing a affirmative Covid-19 trial connected December 16, Djokovic spent his archetypal 5 days successful a detention installation successful Melbourne arsenic helium mounted a ineligible situation against the revocation of his visa.
His lawyers successfully argued that Djokovic had "ticked perfectly each box" for vaccine exemption with his caller Covid infection, but 4 days later, Australia's migration curate Alex Hawke announced the determination to revoke Djokovic's visa for a 2nd clip "on wellness and bully bid grounds."
It remains unclear whether Australia volition determination to deport Djokovic arsenic the determination is being challenged by his ineligible team.
But it is different setback for the 34-year-old Serbian successful his bid to determination wide of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer astatine the apical of the men's all-time database with 21 expansive slam titles.
Such an accomplishment would arguably beryllium the crowning infinitesimal of Djokovic's already record-breaking vocation -- the clip helium cements his presumption arsenic the champion subordinate successful the past of the men's game.
"Strictly speaking astir results, Novak Djokovic is the champion subordinate successful the past of men's nonrecreational tennis," said journalist Ben Rothenberg.
"He's tied with Federer and Nadal for the astir expansive slam titles, but Djokovic dominates beauteous overmuch each conceivable tiebreak category: astir weeks ranked No. 1, a winning grounds against the different two, having won each expansive slam and Masters 1000 lawsuit astatine slightest doubly (no 1 other has won them each once, even).
"Djokovic is simply a counterpuncher with a large serve, an extraordinarily flexible athlete, and though helium astir apt isn't a fashionable prime for the astir stylistically pleasing subordinate ever, erstwhile it comes to who is the astir effectual and ascendant connected tribunal implicit the longest play of time, he's your guy."
Djokovic's phenomenal grounds astatine the Australian Open, a tourney helium has won 9 times, had made him the favourite up of this year's tournament, adjacent taking into information his spell successful detention.
Nadal stepped up his instrumentality from injury past week by winning the 89th rubric of his vocation astatine the Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament, portion Daniil Medvedev, who bushed Djokovic successful past year's US Open final, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas volition besides beryllium contenders for the title.
'Novak is Serbia, and Serbia is Novak'
But fewer would person stake against Djokovic, who has received vociferous enactment from his fans -- successful Melbourne arsenic good arsenic backmost successful his autochthonal Serbia -- during the people of his visa saga.
Crowds gathered extracurricular Melbourne's Park Hotel successful protestation against Djokovic's residency determination past week, portion chants of enactment were heard extracurricular the bureau of his lawyers aft helium was cleared to enactment successful Australia.
There were akin scenes extracurricular Serbia's National Assembly successful Belgrade, wherever the tennis prima was hailed arsenic a nationalist leader by his family.
"They are holding him captive. Our Novak, our pride," Djokovic's father, Srdjan, railed successful enactment of lad past week. "Novak is Serbia, and Serbia is Novak ... They trample Novak, and truthful they trample Serbia and the Serbian people."
Despite the ardent enactment of his fanbase, Djokovic remains a divisive fig -- wrong the tennis assemblage and beyond.
He has spoken of his opposition to mandatory vaccinations, and the determination to assistance him a aesculapian exemption for the Australian Open was met with criticism; Stephen Parnis, 1 of the city's salient exigency physicians, said it sent "an appalling connection to the public."
"I'm not an expert, of course, and I'm not going to speech astir what are the pros and cons of getting vaccinated," Djokovic told CNN successful August, "but I americium a proponent of state of choice."
He added: "I truly judge that it should beryllium near to a subordinate to marque a decision.
"We don't cognize what the aboriginal holds. I don't deliberation immoderate manufacture is truly definite what the aboriginal brings.
"We are going to marque definite that we stitchery arsenic overmuch adept accusation connected this (as possible) and enactment with players and supply immoderate accusation is needed for them to marque a conscious choice."
Meanwhile, questions person besides been raised about Djokovic's actions successful the aftermath of his affirmative Covid trial past month.
On Wednesday, helium admitted helium did not instantly isolate aft the affirmative result, but denied knowing helium had the microorganism erstwhile attending nationalist events.
He besides said helium had made an "error of judgment" successful doing a media interrogation and photograph sprout with French outlet L'Equipe connected December 18, 2 days aft his affirmative test.
'I inactive person my fears, my insecurities'
It's not the archetypal clip Djokovic's actions person been questioned during the pandemic.
In June 2020, his Adria Tour accumulation lawsuit was canceled aft helium tested affirmative for Covid-19 alongside his wife, 3 different players, 3 coaches and 1 player's large wife.
Unlike different tennis tournaments held astatine the time, determination was constricted societal distancing connected the Adria Tour, which was played successful crowded stadiums with players hugging and high-fiving each other.
"I americium truthful profoundly atrocious our tourney has caused harm," Djokovic said aft his affirmative test, adding that the foundation lawsuit was organized "with a axenic bosom and sincere intentions."
Nine months anterior to the Adria Tour, Djokovic landed himself successful blistery h2o arsenic helium was defaulted from the US Open for striking a enactment justice with a ball. He again apologized and said helium was near "sad and empty" by the situation.
Speaking astir that play successful an interrogation with CNN past year, Djokovic reflected connected lessons learned.
"I'm inactive a quality being similar everyone else, I inactive person my fears, my insecurities, I inactive marque mistakes and errors," helium said. "Tennis, it's benignant of my learning ground. My strongest, astir beauteous emotions aboveground there, but each the worst of my emotions aboveground there."
During and beyond this year's Australian Open, it's apt that Djokovic's stance connected vaccines volition proceed to beryllium scrutinized. According to the ATP Tour, helium is 1 of 3 unvaccinated players ranked successful the apical 100.
"Djokovic's bequest is massively analyzable and getting much so," said Rothenberg
"For each of his professionalism and his generosity (he's large with charities and successful interactions with his fans), his judgement often gets him into trouble, often straying him ... toward fringe ideas, similar his caller anti-vaccine commitment.
"So overmuch of tennis is astir personalities and grace connected and disconnected court, and Djokovic has repeatedly sabotaged himself successful these areas."
CNN has contacted Djokovic's typical for remark galore times up of the Australian Open but has not received a response.
Djokovic won his archetypal expansive slam rubric astatine the Australian Open successful 2008, aft which helium had to hold 3 years for his adjacent large triumph, again astatine the Australian Open.
Grand slam titles -- 11 successful full -- came heavy and accelerated successful the six-year play betwixt 2011 and 2016, culminating successful Djokovic claiming the "Nole Slam" arsenic the defending champion of each 4 expansive slam tournaments astatine the aforesaid time.
But an elbow wounded successful 2017 derailed Djokovic's progress. His archetypal unwillingness to acquisition country frustrated his erstwhile manager Andre Agassi, who told The Guardian helium thought Djokovic had hoped his elbow would "heal naturally, holistically."
Djokovic yet opted for country successful aboriginal 2018 and returned to the tribunal a fewer months later, but it was a setback that had astir led to him quitting tennis altogether.
"To bash the surgery, it was against his halfway values," his woman Jelena told CNN successful 2019. "It was truly huge, it's similar helium buried 1 portion of him with that decision. He said: 'I'm done, I'm not playing tennis anymore, I mislaid this, I'm not having amusive anymore, this is it.'"
Since that elbow surgery, Djokovic has won 8 expansive slam titles crossed a four-year period, yet equaling Federer and Nadal's grounds astatine Wimbledon past year.
Many spot it arsenic lone a substance of clip earlier helium owns the grounds outright and establishes himself arsenic the top subordinate successful the past of men's tennis -- a titan connected the tribunal with a complicated, arguable bequest disconnected it.
CNN's Christina Macfarlane, Don Riddell, Ben Church, Hannah Ritchie, Jessie Yeung and Angus Watson contributed to reporting.
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