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On the tennis court, world number 1 Novak Djokovic (34) works miracles and chases records.
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He has already kissed the cup nine times at the Australian Open – and he could win his 21st record Grand Slam title from January 17th.
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And his parents Dijana and Srdjan Djokovic do not exactly serve the reputation of their son with their pathetic expressions.
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Novak has been married to Jelena since 2014. He has two children with her, Stefan (7) and Tara (4).
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The story of Novak Djokovic – it begins like a male version of the Cinderella fairy tale. Or the Frog King. Once upon a time there was a poor Serbian boy who grew up in the war-bombed village of Kopaonik on the Serbian-Kosovar border and with his grandfather in Belgrade. Who had to stand in line for bread, milk and water, hit tennis balls against a stone wall with gunshot holes to pass the time. And he showed so much talent that one day he set out to scare the tennis world.
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The parents, who worked in a pizzeria, sacrificed the last penny for the eldest of their three sons, put the wishes of the two younger ones Marko and Djordje aside because it was simply no longer possible. In search of more money for their “Nole” they went into debt with mafia criminals, putting themselves and the whole family in danger.
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The Serbian boy, however, pursued his goal undeterred. Finished his tennis skills in foreign countries alone, with Nikola Pilic in Germany at the age of twelve, made his professional debut in 2003. Two decades later, he is the tennis king of the world, rewarded with record prize money of over 150 million dollars. Has been number 1 for 354 weeks. Perhaps the best player in history.
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">Einreise-Drama in Melbourne: Serb fans protest in front of Djokovics Hotel(01:28)
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Longed-for love is denied
There is no more fairytale potential. If it weren’t for those strange sidelines in the Djokovic story over and over again. In the fight against the stepmother, everyone suffers with Cinderella. And a happy frog prince enjoys everyone’s sympathy – even if he doesn’t kiss princesses, but goblets. But this prince charming does not seem completely happy. Because he is simply denied the global love that he so desperately wants.
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He can win as much as he wants, try again and again to make the world a better place, donate generously to charity, use his status to improve his home country or on the tennis tour – he does all of that, no question about it . But it’s no use. With the poor boy from Kopaonik, who performed miracles and deserves great respect for it, many people’s feelings remain ambivalent.
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In his homeland he is a hero for his work, almost a savior. But his seemingly fanatical supporters in the Balkans are also striking like a boomerang with the rest of the world. The more vehemently the Serbian people criticize discrimination, the more pathetically the controversial President Aleksandar Vucic pays homage to him, the less recognition the tragic hero earns worldwide. The more divine his devout family represents him (mother Dijana considers her son to be “chosen by God”) and the more she offends the competition (father Srdjan about Federer: “Come on, raise your children, do something different, go skiing”) the more shadow falls over the stem holder.
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Fair or unjust? Difficult question. The fact is: It is not just his origin that is responsible for the fact that the Djokovic story is more a drama than a fairy tale, at best a tragic comedy. This man too is the maker of his own happiness. The fact that he does not always have a happy hand was already evident with the first major successes.
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">«Never go to Australia again»: The Djokovic drama spoils the Serbs’ Christmas(01:20)
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Ascetic with chocolate
No sooner was Djokovic taken seriously as a serious threat and challenger to the popular record collectors Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal than he forfeited it by posing as a comedian and imitating fellow players. This was quite successful – but not all of his “victims” thought it was funny, some even accused him of disrespect. It was hardly meant that way. But the Serb is often misunderstood.
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His frequent tasks in matches ended up in the wrong hands with many. Injuries, breathlessness – is it all just imitation? Does he only fake his suffering when the score becomes too explosive for him – or to throw his opponents off the beat? After numerous examinations, a doctor discovered a gluten intolerance in 2012, which is said to be the origin of Djokovic’s susceptibility. Not using gluten, lactose and ultimately switching to a vegan diet actually worked wonders. The tennis basket became more and more stable and continuously conquered the world rankings.
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And then his dealings with the media. International journalists consider him to be eloquent and eloquent, intelligent, humorous and gallant. Increasingly, however, also as a bit of an ingratiation. Especially when he expresses his great respect for Federer and Nadal in downright submissive adulation or distributes chocolate in media conferences to celebrate a victorious day. Actually nice – but over time his exaggerated charm became more and more implausible.
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Because he doesn’t match his combative, martial appearance on the court. There, the «Djoker» tears his T-shirts in the rush of victory to pat himself on his bare chest like King Kong. Perhaps he also got his terrifying, monkey-like primal screams from him, which he let off in moments of greatest tension. Doesn’t run, he smashes or flings his rackets away in a blind rage or kicks violently into the gangs. But be careful: once he has the crowd against him – maybe also because he is playing against a crowd favorite like Federer – and signals his expression of suffering with boos, then he is the most dangerous!
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">«What a Djok» und «No-Vax»: This is how the network reacts to the Djokovic drama(01:26)
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Alone against the rest of the world
The father of the family, who with his childhood sweetheart Jelena, brings up two children, Stefan (7) and Tara (4), seems to feel most at home in the role of the spoilsport. This is not only evident on the pitch, but also next to it. Alone against the rest of the world – this has been the norm at Novak since childhood. This also includes the establishment of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which is intended to counteract the omnipotence of the ATP players’ association and to give players more influence and decision-making power.
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The PTPA President launched his revolutionary attack shortly before the US Open 2020. Just when, after months of the pandemic state of emergency, the tour finally came back to normal. Since then he has split the tennis scene into two camps – the opposition also includes the more conservative traditionalists Federer and Nadal.
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No, Djokovic is not a traditionalist. More like a spiritualist, which he shows off in ever more extreme proportions and makes him more and more incomprehensible. With the Spanish ex-professional and today’s guru Pepe Imaz, he preached peace and love. Imaz helped Novak’s brother Marko out of a depression in 2013, so the tennis superstar also relied on his help. He was so enthusiastic about the effects of meditation and long hugs that he suddenly parted ways with successful coach Boris Becker and the rest of the supervisory staff in 2016. Only two years later – after an unsuccessful period with the guru coach – the Serb returned to regular coach Marian Vajda.
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In 2020 Djokovic will drift into even higher spheres. In live dialogues on the Internet, he is publicly inspired and influenced by esotericists. He exchanges ideas with the Dutch extreme sportsman Wim Hof about the “power of thoughts” and follows his recommendation to take ice baths in the winter nature. With the US-Iranian Chervin Jafarieh, a «soulmate» alchemist, he philosophizes about the merging of spirituality and science. With the power of the spirit and prayer, one can turn poisonous water into healing water. His enlightenment: “We humans are electrical beings – just as energy as chemistry.”
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The year of the scandals
Mind and prayers are then not strong enough to suppress a fatal outburst at the US Open a year and a half ago. In front of empty stands, he unintentionally, but uncontrollably, shoots a ball in the direction of a line judge in the round of 16. She is hit in the throat and collapses on the square, gasping for air. Djokovic is disqualified.
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A scandal that was preceded by another faux pas. With the power of thoughts – not a vaccination – Corona should also ricochet off him. But didn’t. With the “Adria Tour” initiated by him in the middle of the pandemic, Djokovic burst the bubble in which the sport was at the time with a loud bang. It became really embarrassing when he and other invited guests showed themselves to be partying and playing football with bare chests in the disco at the supporting program of the show tournaments and were promptly infected with the Covid-19 virus.
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Corona and Djokovic – a topic in itself. Although he has come out as an opponent of vaccinations since the beginning of the crisis, it has long been speculated whether he would bow to the pressure of the tour and the strict entry regulations of foreign governments and still allow himself to be given the spades for reasons of reason. At the latest for the Australian Open, where the rules are stricter than anywhere else, and where it should be more important for the nine-time record winner to defend his title than anywhere else. Because the chance to immortalize himself with the 21st Grand Slam title as “the GOAT” (Greatest of All Times) in front of the 20-time major winners Federer and Nadal is on the presentation plate for him in Melbourne.
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It is not a surprise that he does not bend, nor that he does not face the consequences. With the naive (horror) trip down under, at least the secrecy about his vaccination status has come to an end. Otherwise Djokovic would not have been intercepted at customs at Tullamarine Airport because his special medical permit for entry is not absolutely secure for reasons that are as yet unknown. The Australian Open hero is now a prisoner in Australia. In a dingy quarantine hotel for migrants and those to be deported, the tennis king is now praying for a successful appeal in court, which will be decided on Monday.
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The chances of a start at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year are small, but intact. But even if he were allowed to compete – and would triumph under the anticipated hostility of the angry Australian audience with the strength of his spirit: his story would still not be a fairy tale. The now 34-year-old defiant head from Serbia would have beaten his critics at best.
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">Aussie tennis expert to the hotel: “These will be hard nights for Djokovic”(00:20)
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">«Djokovic is not a prisoner»: That’s what Home Secretary Andrews says about the immigration drama(01:34)
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">You have no understanding: Switzerland-Australians hateful because of Djokovic debate(01:49)
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