Novak Djokovic's pursuit complex fuels his fire. Photo: Getty Images
If Novak Djokovic has one hallmark, it's that he doesn't care what others think. He can be blamed, he can be discredited, he can even be deported, but this will still not leave the slightest dent in his psychological armor. This is evidenced by his latest splash in the turbulent waters of tennis diplomacy, when he scrawled the words «Kosovo is the heart of Serbia, stop the violence» on a nearby camera lens at Roland Garros. Can he soften that message in response to Kosovo's claims that it is fueling ethnic tensions? Dream. After posting the same opinion on Instagram, he decided to double down.
Djokovic's compelling dichotomy is that you're never sure how he wants to be perceived. At times, he may appear to be in desperate need of public adoration, such as when he performs his post-victory ritual of love-bombing all four sides of the court. But in his more daring moments, he causes infamy with a certain pleasure. “I don’t know what will happen, if I will be punished,” he shrugged after a statement that seemed provocative even by his standards. «I'm not holding back, I would do it again.»
It is this desire to play the agitator that explains why Djokovic is, to put it mildly, controversial. Despite being on the hunt for a record 23rd men's singles title at this French Open, he struggles to command something that can match the near-holiness of an injured Rafael Nadal or a retired Roger Federer. A recent study found that on the ATP Tour, Djokovic received the most social media backlash of any player, with one in five tweets leaving a negative review and 11% of Facebook posts about him labeled as «angry». And yet he does not take offense at such hostility, but considers it a badge of honor.
Does that surprise you? he said as Serbian journalists pressed for conclusions. “I would be surprised if things were different. As Kobe Bryant said, «Haters are a good problem.» Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the greats.» Hate is a terrible feeling. If someone hates me, I think that says more about that person than about me. I wouldn't change anything. Yes, I made a lot of mistakes, but at least I was sincere. I would choose this every time instead of saying what the establishment standards like.»
Scribble Djokovic was shown on the big screen at Roland Garros
This latest statement could well be Djokovic's epitaph. For that facet of his character, which even the most ardent ill-wishers could not dispute, is his authenticity. He is so sincere and so convinced of his opposition to the Covid-19 vaccination that, as a direct consequence, he has missed one major and two Masters tournaments in the past nine months. He was kicked out of one Grand Slam host country and banned from another and still refuses to relent.
Similarly, his strength of feeling over events in Kosovo, where more Serb attempts to prevent the newly elected Albanian mayor from taking office, stems from an unshakable personal conviction. His father, Srjan, was born on Kosovo soil, in the city of Kosovska Mitrovica, and he firmly adheres to the Serbian nationalist narrative that Kosovo is an autonomous region of Serbia, despite the fact that the country declared independence in 2008.
< p>Where Djokovic is a little sly is that he insists that he has no «intention to enter into political debate.» After all, his remarks went beyond some general anti-war slogan in the style of Andrey Rublev's «No to war, please» comment in Dubai last year. He specifically referred to his home country's claim to territorial sovereignty over a neighboring state: a move that, had other players attempted it, would have promptly drawn condemnation. Can you imagine what outrage would arise if Daniil Medvedev, who is still banned from performing under the Russian flag, wrote, for example, “Crimea is the heart of Russia”?
There are some nuances here. While the entire Western world has imposed sanctions against Russia, only 52 percent of UN member states recognize the independence of Kosovo. Thus, Djokovic's intervention can be seen as somewhat less extraordinary than if it involved Russia. However, he knew exactly what he was doing, getting involved in such a heated debate, and decided that he did not care about the consequences.
This is the perfect brand for a figure who thrives in his «I». «against the world» mentality. Don't forget how he reimagined the «Roger, Roger» chant as «Novak, Novak» during the 2019 Wimbledon final against Federer and won in a fifth set tiebreaker. The persecution complex fuels his fire. So, as odd as his meddling in Serbian politics may look, it could still be an ingenious motivational stunt to prepare him for the coming battles in Paris.
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