The Many Sides of Novak Djokovic

DUBAI - After giving some heart-stopping moments during his thrilling quarter-final match, Novak Djokovic showed how badly he wanted to do well at the Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsThe defending champion fought back heroically even after losing the first set against a Croatian whose serves fly like missiles.

By Rituraj Borkakoty

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Published: Sun 28 Feb 2010, 1:25 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 8:56 AM

He may have become one of the elite players in the glamorous world of men’s tennis, but the Serbian says he still has the desire to win every match, every point.

And the 2008 Australian Open champion doesn’t see any difference between Grand Slam, Masters and other ATP Tournament matches. For him, each throws its own challenges from which he can only learn.

“I think that every tournament is important tournament. So that’s the way I accepted every tournament in my professional career. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow? So I give my 100 per cent in every match that I play. I try to win every match I play,” Djokovic said after his three-set quarter-final victory over Ivan Ljubicic on Thursday night.

“I cannot calculate and I cannot experiment. Of course sometimes maybe you should prioritize some bigger events. But, look, you know, we are professionals, and we are here to perform as best as we can.

“Expectations, you know, are big from ourselves and our people that are surrounding us.

“It’s just the tournament and there are people who come to watch you. You carry certain responsibility when you are Top 5, Top 10 in the world. You cannot just go out there and practise, you know. So that’s my opinion.”

Perhaps that’s the reason why Djokovic is adored by tennis lovers here in Dubai. He is the people’s champion.

It’s refreshing to see such an attitude from a player who has actually managed to win a Grand Slam in the era of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. To be precise, apart from Djokovic, only Juan Martin del Potro has known the taste of a Grand Slam victory.

Out of 20 Grand Slams in the last five years, Federer and Nadal have won 18, while the other two – the Australian Open in 2008 and the US Open in 2009 – were captured by Djokovic and del Potro. Some may call them ‘one slam wonders’, but there are countless others dying to win that elusive one in the era dominated by two all-time greats!

Doctor Djokovic

The Serbian, it seems, is a versatile man as well. The 22-year-old helped compatriot Janko Tipsarevic defeat the rebels inside the body!

Jonkovic was struggling to recover from a fever before he was to play Andy Murray in his second round match.

“Yesterday night I ate white garlic, because Novak told me I’m going to feel better. Actually I did,” revealed Tipsarevic after his stunning victory in the second round match on Wednesday night against Murray, the Australian Open runner-up.

“Ohhh…. he shouldn’t have revealed the secrets of my knowledge,” a smiling Djokovic said on Thursday.

“Well, yeah. In Serbia we tend to heal ourselves in a very natural way. Try not to take all these tablets and pills, you know. So any kind of food, fruit whatever, something that comes from nature, is good.

“So garlic doesn’t feel good really when you eat it, and if you eat it, your girlfriend probably won’t spend time next to you. So he told me that when he woke up next morning he just saw a note from his fiancee: ‘Yeah, darling I went to shopping. See you in a couple of days when you clear up your breath’.”

Future city

Tennis fans love him here in Dubai. And Novak Djokovic says he too is a big admirer of the city. “This city is very international. People are so kind. It’s incredible. I used the opportunity to come here for ten days prior to 2010 Australian Open, the new season.

“I came here to prepare. I was at the Habtoor Grand Resort just next to the beach. Met the family and they were very kind to me. So the people are really trying to welcome everybody in the best possible way, trying to attract people.

“Every time I come here I see new buildings growing. They work 24/7. It’s a future city, definitely.”

rituraj@khaleejtimes.com


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