Novak Đoković

[lucky13]

nego jel upratio neko da li je fed cestitao noletu na obaranju mu rekorda?

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pogledajte video sa ATPovog sajta. i obratite paznju na noletovu crvenu adidas majicu. e bas ta majica mi je do nedavno bila uokvirena na zidu radne sobe!



http://www.bilddump.se/bilder/202103081 ... 85.244.JPG

[lucky13]

e ovim je doveo mnoge medije u jako nezgodan polozaj. ne bi da objave da je srusio jedan od najvecih rekorda! ali bi ga definitivno voljeli opanjkati sto slavi u doba korone. e sad. ajd ga kritikuj sto slavi a ne pomeni sto i sta slavi.

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https://sportske.jutarnji.hr/sn/tenis/t ... u-15056157

TATA ĐOKOVIĆ: ‘MAMICU VAM JE*EM, SVI ĆETE ME ZVATI KAD MOJ NOLE BUDE NAJBOLJI TENISAČ NA SVIJETU!‘


Novak je upravo pobijedio, a njegov otac "poludio" jer ga netko s druge strane nije baš shvatio

PIŠE: Vjekoslav Paun
OBJAVLJENO: 08. ožujak 2021. 16:56

Negdje 17 godina ranije, na jednom malenom i skromnom turniru, daleko od blještavila uglednih i dolarima bogatih poznatih imena, dogodila se premijera tenisača u Hrvatskoj koji će gotovo dva desetljeća kasnije još jednom otvoriti - povijesne knjige. Jedna zanimljiva epizoda, koja se teško zaboravlja, odigrala se sredinom veljače 2004. godine, u hladnom mrzlom Zagrebu, tamo na zapadu, u Podsusedu, a koji je onako isklesan stijenama i pokriven snijegom odavao i dojam - antarktičkih uvjeta.

No za mene, teniskog novinara početnika, to je bio "Australian Open". Otići na kraj Zagreba i s "bundom na sebi" gledati tenisače koji su tek ulazili u profesionalne vode. U pitanju je bio Futures turnir, najniži rang, a gdje se nađe i dosta zanimljive i osebujne ekipe...

Na ulaznim vratima bi vas dočekao uvijek nasmijani (i danas nažalost pokojni) Ivo Škopljanac, voditelj press-centra tog malenog turnira, a uvijek u blizini bio bi i Ivan Jakovac ispred Zagrebačkog teniskog saveza, a koji su tad "potpisivali" dva Futuresa u nizu koji su označavali i početak sezone u Hrvatskoj. Profesionalne sezone, tamo dok se još nije dogodio povratak Indoorsa.

Nisam se još niti "parkirao" i bacio oko na raspored igranja, kad vidim ispred sebe čovjeka od nekih 40-ak godina kako - galami i psuje.

"Gdje je organizator, gdje je supervisor!? Pa ovdje je -40 stepeni!. Pa kako ovdje da se igra", grmio je iz sveg glasa.

Posebna kategorija su uvijek bili tzv. "teniski roditelji". Bilo je tu zanimljivih likova. Od onih koji ništa ne komentiraju iz sjene, do onih koji traže stolicu da je "zafitilje" na suca u stolcu jer je njihov sin zakinut za jedan poen.

Meč je završio i spomenuti gospodin dolazi za naš stol. Upoznajemo se, kaže da se zove Srđan Đoković, a za njim dolazi i njegov sin Novak Đoković. Upravo je pobijedio Uroša Vicu, tad 267. tenisača svijeta i bila je to velika stvar za njih. Ne sjećam se kad sam tad viđao srpske tenisače u ždrjebovima, posljednji njihov veliki tenisač bio je Slobodan Živojinović koji je u osamdesetima bio polufinalist Wimbledona.

"Ajde Nole, jedi tu bananu", kaže mu otac, a on mirno i pristojno guli tu bananu i još onako vruć razmišlja o pobjedi.

Tata Srđan sav ponosan okreće neki broj na svom mobitelu i ustaje se malo dalje od našeg stola i vodi zanimljiv razgovor. Bio je glasan, dovoljno glasan da sve čujemo...

"Moj sin je upravo izborio polufinale na Futuresu u Hrvatskoj!", jedna od prvih rečenica je koje je sav uzbuđeni tata Đoković izreferirao tamo nekom novinaru u Srbiji.


"Što? Mamu vam ****, da vam ****! Svi ćete me zvati jednog dana kada Nole bude prvi tenisač svijeta", odbrusio mu je i poklopio.

Da, dogodilo se to prije 17 godina u podsusedskom teniskom centru. Tad sam, najiskrenije mogu to priznati, pomislio samo jedno:

"Ajme, još jedan ludi teniski roditelj".

No ovaj čovjek nije bio niti malo lud. Sedam godina kasnije njegov će Novak postati prvi tenisač svijeta, a točno 17 godina kasnije, upravo danas, ući će u knjige svjetskih rekorda kao tenisač s najviše tjedana u povijesti na svjetskom broju 1.

Srpski novinar? Zanimljivo bi bilo saznati tko je bio s druge strane mreže, tko je to tako bahatu odbrusio Srđanu Đokoviću, ali nikako mu se ne može zamjeriti.

Jer tenis je, tad te 2004. godine, bio za Srbiju u kategoriji "egzotičnih" sportova. Možda je pregruba riječ za baseball, ali zemlja koja je bila poznata po nogometašima, košarkašima, rukometašima, odbojkašima... nije baš tad "priznavala" tenis, pa je tamo neki poziv "nekog tate Đokovića", čiji je sin upravo ušao u polufinale 10.000 dolara vrijednog Futuresa, a pri čemu je on sam zaradio šest ATP Bodova i 720 dolara bila dočekana možda i s - podsmjehom.

"Zapamtit će me oni, zapamtiti kad Nole bude prvi na svijetu", mrmljao si je u bradu još neko vrijeme.

Zapamtio sam ga i ja, jer ne toliko puno godina kasnije, već na US Openu 2005. godine, susreli smo se opet uz tvrde terene Flushinga. Igrao je protiv Marija Ančića i pobijedio ga u susretu drugog kola i to kao 97. tenisač svijeta.

Vizija jednog roditelja maksimalizirala je svoj potencijal, jer ne samo da je nekoliko godina kasnije postao prvi tenisač svijeta, već broj 1 najbolji u povijesti. I to od danas, s 311 tjedana nakon što je prestigao Rogera Federera u još jedom - rekordu. A jedna usputna epizoda u Novakovom razvoju, njegov debi u Podsusedu, ostat će zapamćen i prepričavat će se. I moralo je valjda biti burno i dojmljivo, kao i cijela njegova perfektna karijera koja traje i dalje...


Rečenica jednog teniskog roditelja i danas se pamti u Hrvatskoj. Sedamnaest godina kasnije njegov sin je najveći broj 1 svih vremena...

[lucky13]

https://sportske.jutarnji.hr/sn/tenis/g ... c-15055676

ĐOKOVIĆA JE TO CIJELU KARIJERU SMETALO, ALI TU SI TEŠKO MOŽE POMOĆI! A NE MOŽE MU POMOĆI NI IVANIŠEVIĆ...

Utrka za najvećim igračem svih vremena između Rogera, Rafe i Novaka nikada nije bila izjednačenija


PIŠE: Neven Bertičević
OBJAVLJENO: 06. ožujak 2021. 08:09

Novak Đoković dostigao je još jedan vrhunac karijere. U ponedjeljak će s 311 tjedana na broju 1 preskočiti dosadašnjeg rekordera Rogera Federera, koji se dugo mučio da dostigne Petea Samprasa, ali kako su prolazile godine taj dio priče ga nije pretjerano zanimao. Za razliku od Švicarca, Đoković još nije odlučio odbaciti neke teniske navike iako su mu prioriteti nešto drukčiji.

Srbin, naime, sve što danas želi, nakon što je osvojio deveti Australian Open i približio se do kraja Rogeru Federeru i Rafaelu Nadalu po broju Grand Slam titula (20-18), želi načiniti korak više. A to je dostići i prestići svoje slavne rivale. Stoga nije nimalo čudno što je najavio da će se nakon Melbournea odmarati i pobrinuti se za ozljedu trbuha, misterioznu ozljedu koju je zaradio rano u Melbourneu u dvoboju s Amerikancem Fritzom. Nastavio je igrati sve do kraja iako je uporno tvrdio da bi odustao od turnira odmah nakon ozljede, ali nije samo zato jer se radilo o Grand Slam turniru.
No, kako su vrhunski tenisači i veliki šampioni ponekad ćudljivi, rijetko ćete od njih čuti što se u njihovom okruženju doista događa, jesu li stvarno ozlijeđeni onoliko koliko govore, ako govore, jesu li uopće ozlijeđeni. A to nije posebnost Novaka Đokovića, takvi su i Roger Federer i Rafael Nadal.

Nije dobro ni kad šuti

I dok su gledatelji i novinari skloni prihvatiti sve što govore Federer i Nadal, kod Đokovića to nije baš tako. Pogotovo kad se radi o novinarima iz SAD-a i s Otoka. A to je Đokovića uvijek smetalo, smeta ga i danas, ali iskreno govoreći tu si teško može pomoći, a neće mu pomoći ni oni koji su spremni braniti njegov lik i djelo, a tu se u posljednje vrijeme prilično istaknuo Goran Ivanišević. Trener ili jedan od trenera Novaka Đokovića spreman je ići i na barikade, jer kao što je ovih dana rekao “nije dobro kad Đoković nešto kaže, a nije dobro ni kad šuti”. No, kako Đoković nije od onih koji bi šutjeli, što se Federeru i Nadalu zna dogoditi, onda je pritisak na vodećeg i najboljeg tenisača svijeta stalan.

Sad kada preskače Rogera Federera uvijek će se naći nešto novo, iako je Đoković toliko toga osvojio da bi mu zapravo trebalo biti svejedno. Hoće li i koliko dugo još ostati na prvom mjestu svjetske rang-liste također mu nije ili ne bi trebalo biti presudno u karijeri. Možda bi mogao pokušati i dati se u lov za tri tenisačice koje su dulje od njega bile na broju 1: Serena Williams 319 tjedana, Martina Navratilova 332 i uvjerljivo vodeća Steffi Graf, koja je na broju 1 bila 377 tjedana.

No, veliko je pitanje koji su neposredni ciljevi Novaka Đokovića i ima li ih i što bi ga moglo zadovoljiti. Mnogi će reći i pritom biti u pravu da ga jedno zanima utrka s Federerom i Nadalom, manje s Federerom, jer ovaj uskoro 40-godišnjak teško će osvojiti još koji Grand Slam naslov. Pa ni u njegovom omiljenom Wimbledonu. Previše je godina i previše djece, možda bi bio red i možda će se uskoro povući u mirniji život, iako ni ovo što je do sada prošao u karijeri nije pretjerano burno.

A što bi ti učinio?

Zanimljiva je priča o trojici mušketira koji su svaki na svoj način i na raznim turnirima dominirali svijetom tenisa. Ono što je Federeru Wimbledanu, a Nadalu Roland Garros, to je Novaku Đokoviću Australian Open. Prije izvjesnog vremena Ivanišević je zaključio kako će se utrka za najuspješnijeg svjetskog tenisača voditi na relaciji Španjolska - Srbija, odnosno Nadal i Đoković. Za Federera tu nije pronašao “olakotne” okolnosti.

Đoković srušio i rekord i tenisku legendu: ‘Pa sve je lakše kad imaš Gorana Ivaniševića u svom boksu!‘

Zanimljivo bi zapravo bilo otkritri što misle njihovi treneri, ali oni su različiti po temperamentu i karakteru. Ivan Ljubičić trener je Federera, imao je on u to vrijeme puno ponuda od mlađih i talentiranih, ali nikad ih nije prihvatio i to je objasnio na jednostavan način:
- A što bi ti učinio da te Federer zove?

Carlos Moya spektakularnu je igračku karijeru, u kojoj je jedno kraće vrijeme bio i broj 1, okončao i danas je trener Rafaela Nadala, onog istog Nadala kojem je u igračkim danima bio i prijatelj i mentor.
Novak Đoković, zapravo njegov otac, ponudio je trenersko mjesto Ricardu Piattiju, ali Talijan koji je u to vrijeme trenirao Ivana Ljubičića nije želio napustiti našeg majstora. I tako je od 2006. godine trener Đokovića Marijan Vajda, onaj isti Vajda kojeg je u kvalifikacijama za olimpijski turnir 1988. godine u Seoulu pobijedio Goran Ivanišević. Jedno je vrijeme u blizini Đokovića bio i Boris Becker, ali njegova želja za samoisticanjem, i kad je radio kao tenski komentator i kad je bio trener, nije se svidjela Đokoviću. Onda je Novak pogriješio i to relatvno brzo “snimio” pa je suradnja s Andreom Agassijem i Radekom Štepanekom bila vrlo kratkog vijeka. Vratio se Vajdi za kojeg tvrdi da mu je drugi otac, a onda je načinio možda i najbolji potez angažiranjem Gorana Ivaniševića.

I tako su tri mušketira ili ako hoćete tri tenora hodali po krovu svijeta i nikad nisu skliznuli, čak i onda kada je bio kišovit ili snježan dan. Iako ima i onih koji su bli uvjereni da karijera Novaka Đokovića neće otići toliko daleko ili toliko visoko. Naime, na kraju 2010. godine situacija je bila posve drukčija. Roger Fedeer je u tom trenutku imao 16, Rafa Nadal 9, a Novak Đoković samo jedan Grand Slam naslov.

Perfekcija na terenu

Srbin je krenuo nezadrživo, jedini je tenisač koji je sve turnire iz kategorije Masters 1000 osvojio najmanje dvaput, a Nadal i Federer tom nisu ni blizu. I još jedan zanimljiv podatak - osim Amerikanca Donalda Budgea i Roda Lavera samo je još Novak Đoković u jednom trenutku imao osvojena sva četiri Grand Slam turnira.
​No, sumnjam da je njegova želja gomilati trofeje bez kriterija. Zato je nakon Australian Open Đoković i rekao da će prilično dugo pauzirati. Koliko dugo, teško je reći, ali je gotovo izvjesno da će do Roland Garrosa odigrati možda Monte Carlo i Rim ili Monte Carlo ili Rim.

Njegova jedina želja, a on je to uostalom i rekao, jest okončati utakmicu s Federerom i Nadalom u pozitivi, a još jedan podatak koji će potvrditi svu njegovu veličinu je omjer međusobnih dvoboja, u kojima je bolji i od Federera i od Nadala.
Želi zavladati svjetskim tenisom, ali ako je Federer mogao igrati do 40. možda će i Novak Đoković krenuti njegovim stopama. A na tom putu će njegovi vjerni pratitelji Marijan Vajda i Goran Ivanišević biti uvijek iza ugla, jer osim perfekcije na terenu, čini se da je pronašao i one koji mu trebaju da održi tu perfekciju.

[lucky13]

karikatura iz l'Equipe:



l'Equipe-ov izbor za sportisu godine:



jedna reakcija sa jednog foruma:

Jesus Christ! o_O And this from a leading European sports media outlet.

[lucky13]

https://elpais.com/deportes/2021-03-08/ ... uerra.html

Now Djokovic has it all: war and peace

With 311 weeks at the top of the ranking, the Serb has ousted Federer as the most dominant number one in history. García-López, Corretja and Arrese analyze his game, evolution and personality.

In 2005, when I first played Novak Djokovic, in the second round of the Wimbledon grass, I ended up with tears in my eyes, says the La Mancha native, Guillermo García-López.

“I felt very frustrated. I had beaten Ferrer in the first round and was playing well. I was two sets up and had a match ball at 5-4 on serve. So, I made a good first serve, then hit a forehand winner to the opposite side; it kissed the line and the linesperson called it in. Novak came to the net to shake my hand, but suddenly, when I was already celebrating, the chair umpire overruled the ball out. I managed to regroup back and found myself up 6-5, 40-0, but he turned that game around and then the match. It was one of the very few times that I have left the court crying”, says the veteran player, who at 37 years old (current ATP ranking 236) is rushing through the last stint of his career, to highlight the Serb's unwavering hunger. The same player who, since yesterday, is king among kings.

Djokovic never tires of winning or collecting records. While he races against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to be the male player with most majors in history - the other two with 20 apiece, himself with 18 after the Australian Open he won two weeks ago - he has made sure that from now on, he will be remembered as the most dominant number one in history. After this Monday's update of the tally, Nole accumulates 311 weeks and has definitely left the Swiss behind, which made us remember an old video from '94 in which, as a 7-year-old boy, he said with determination, with a backwards cap on, that for him tennis was already "an obligation" that required him to train at night and that his goal was to be at the top of the circuit. Said and Done, in capital letters.

"In the Madrid Masters, I remember that he was already in full gear and left me with just three games," reminisces García-López in reference to his 2011 duel with the Serb, which had them play in the Caja Mágica, shortly before his rival climbed to the top of the rankings for the first time. By that time, July 4, Djokovic was 24 years and 43 days old, and was already threatening to impose his tyranny on the tour. "What impresses me the most about him is that it is practically impossible to find a single hole in him," intervenes Alex Corretja, former world number two, double finalist at Roland Garros (1998 and 2001) and tour finals champion (1998).

“It is tremendously difficult to hurt him in any way, whether you play slice, topspin, to his forehand or his backhand… When someone is going to play against him, anywhere, they know the game is going to be horribly difficult. With Sampras or Agassi, you knew that for example on clay they were more likely to falter, but he has no such cracks. He is capable of winning everything on all surfaces, at the highest level, for so many weeks at a time. He is very complete everywhere. In that sense he is similar to Nadal, although I think that tactically he's more difficult to play against than Rafa. The only option you have is to make him despair, become a complete backboard until he goes crazy”, adds the Catalan.

García-López agrees with that technical analysis: "He doesn't have any weakness you can exploit. He has been improving year after year and I think he has never lost his hunger. That's what impresses me the most about him [33 years old]. Logically, everyone up there has that hunger, but he has never stopped evolving. Also, he's been able to adapt to the current conditions better than anyone else. Tennis used to be played in a very different way, and now it's changed a lot; but he has adapted really well, same as Nadal [34] and Federer [39].”.

Jordi Arrese, who won the silver in men's singles in the 1992 Olympics, and was the Davis Cup captain who first drafted Nadal into the team, thinks that the Belgrade player has reached a kind of perfection. "He's returning phenomenally and, despite what it may seem, he's also serving phenomenally. I think he is the player who serves consistently closest to the lines. His forehand is more versatile now, so he has the choice to step into the court or tighten up defense, and he has improved his serve and volleying a lot. In addition, he's been learning to break the flow and shorten points with dropshots. He spent a couple of years resting on his laurels, with too much peace; he lacked war. And now he has it all: the war and peace he needed.”

Always in the eye of the storm for whatever reason, Djokovic is haunted by a bad rep he can't quite shake off. “Not because of the racquet breaking, since there are many idols who have done that; but because of the way he manages his ailments. People do not quite understand how someone is able to recover when a moment ago he was not able to walk, or his arm was hanging limp. I think he just has a higher pain threshold than anyone else. But I can perfectly understand how when he finds himself troubled, he likes to exteriorize his problems. He's hot-blooded, Balkan, he gets nervous. He, Nadal and Federer are different in the soul. He is a misunderstood idol. Should he really strive to be exemplary? He must do what he believes and feels. Nobody should act like a robot”, reasons Corretja.

“We are in Rafa's country, and a Latin country at that. What I mean is, for us, our guy is the best. But Novak is phenomenal and a good person”, adds Arrese. “Although he does display pain more than others, and that sometimes feels odd. I remember playing against him in Estoril, and at a point when the match was very close, he stopped it for ten or fifteen minutes because he said he couldn't see well… It's a habit that has come and gone with the years. Perhaps he has little filter, and says whatever comes to mind; maybe not in the same way one would talk to a friend, but if he wants to say something, he says it, and that sometimes hurts his image. In any case, nobody can argue against him being one of the very best in history”, resolves García-López.

Comparisons are always tricky, but for the La Roda (Albacete) native, Djokovic reminds him “strategically of Borg, for his ground game, and mentally of Connors for the clutchness”. Arrese, meanwhile, draws the parallel with Ivan Lendl: “They have a similar profile, that fighter mentality, almost mean-spirited. But he also knows how to chill and has evolved much more. Nobody on tour could stand Lendl.”

[lucky13]

film o noletu

prije nekog vremena (mislim ono kraj 2016. ili pocetak 2017. ili kasnije ne znam) je bila jedna tema na jednom od najvecih internacionalnih tenis foruma o tome o kojem bi se clanu velike 4 snimio najbolji film. i nole je, uprkos tome sto je daleko najneomijleniji tamo, ako se dobro sjecam, uveliko dobio glasanje. bili su i razni scenarii i stvarno, mislim se, bas filmska prica.

slucajno upozna gencicku, ova prepozna talenat. sanja o br1 i pravi pehar od kartona. rat u zemlji, trenira u bazenu dok roditelji pozamljuju novac od zelenasa. zatim pocinje profi karijeru, vjecno u sjeni i iza 2 tenisera oko kojih se zapravo vrti cijeli tenis. ne moze protiv njih iako je primjetan potencijal. otkriva intolerantnost na gluten. mijenja ishranu. i onda pravi onaj bum 2011. sa onim nevjerovatnim nizom. i osvaja vimbldon i postaje br1 istovremeno. to bi mogao biti 1 dio. e onda, nastavlja da manje vise dominira dok ne dodje do trenutka kada pravi onu ludzacku godinu izmedju W2015 i RGa 2016. veze 4 slema u nizu i ima rekord u poenima. najdominantnija godina u istoriji. i kada svi pomisle da ga niko i nista ne moze zaustaviti upada u najvecu krizu u karijeri odmah nakon najveceg uspjeha. i onda kriza, tumaranje po turnirima, pad forme, psihicka labilnost. i onda, kao fenix onaj vimbldon gdje dobija rafu i vraca se na sampionski put. i na kraju rusi neke (ili sve) najvece rekorde one 2 u cijoj je sjeni bio cijeli zivot. onda ima tu masa dodatnih stvari od medijskih tretmana do diskvalifikacije i spasavanja ML u 3 GS meca protiv najveceg rivala sa kulminacijom na vimbliju 2019.

[OldFashioned]

Ja bih se iznenadio da mu je Federer čestitao.
Noleta jednostavno ne vole iz prostog razloga jer je upao u srce duela Fedalovih fanova i pokvario im mokre snove.

[lucky13]

? & "

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"' " $ ' $ своје ' ' " " $ сан је ? $ $ $ " ? " $ / /, све је -. " пуно " са " страна света, $ ? овај успех & свој " то " је & % $ ? $ $ спорт " ' $ " "."

За &, " је & " за ? " " – % " ".

"Све % ", " " ? ", " " " " & " " нас повезује са $ " света. Спорт је % спона. " ' - % сто ' " ? ? " & успех у спорту & ' ? - " " ? ?. % " се $ $ & су $ ', у " - " $ се $ " $ се " са &, за ' % & $ " на свету", " је ".

[marconato]

Najjaci su mi ovi poput gore pomenutog "sportskog" lista sa karikaturama. Likovi uporno furaju tu fashisoidnu teoremu kako je svijet samo zapad, a zapravo svijet je "malo" i Kina i Indija i Rusija...

[lucky13]

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THE RALLY: HOW NOTABLE IS NOVAK DJOKOVIC'S NEW NO. 1 RANKING RECORD?

The all-time mark—377 weeks, held by Steffi Graf—is within sight.

By Steve Tignor and Joel Drucker

March 09, 2021

In this edition of The Rally, Steve Tignor and Joel Drucker talk about the significance of Novak Djokovic breaking the men’s record for weeks at No. 1, and how he has made the most of playing in the same era as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Hi Joel,

I was a little surprised to hear Novak Djokovic say, when it became clear that he would break Roger Federer’s men’s record of 310 weeks at No. 1, that this would allow him to cut back on his playing schedule and focus strictly on winning Grand Slam titles. I knew Djokovic wanted the weeks-at-No. 1 record, but I assumed he already put together his calendar based on what would help him peak for the majors. It was nice to be reminded, at a time when the general consensus is that “only the Slams count” for the top players, that he could be focused on breaking a mark that rewards consistent results over the long haul, and has nothing to do with the Slam chase. (I guess Djokovic also presumed, probably rightly, that Federer won’t add any more weeks to his No. 1 total.)

How highly do you rate this record, Joel? When I think of the résumés of the great champions, I typically put it right behind the number of major titles a player has won. Winning the Slams proves you can win when it matters most, at the events that your toughest opponents want the most. But reaching No. 1 proves you can have superior results over everyone else for an extended period. More impressive, of course, is staying at the top. That shows an ability to handle the pressure that comes with being expected to win every match you play, which is a lot harder than it looks or sounds.

When Djokovic began to rise in the rankings in 2006, he said right away that he wanted to be the next No. 1 after Federer. But I wasn’t sure if the role suited him. He was obviously capable on all surfaces, but he also was, and is, an emotional and sometimes volatile player, one who seemed like he might be prone to having lots of ups and downs over the course of a career. Just as important, he didn’t have a serve that could bail him out of tricky situations, like the player who owned the weeks-at-No. 1 record at that time, Pete Sampras. Djokovic has to earn his wins the hard way, by constructing rallies, making lots of balls, and doing lots of running. Which only makes the fact that he has done it better than anyone else for 311 weeks that much more impressive.

Of course, Djokovic has the men’s record. The all-time mark is 377 weeks, by Steffi Graf. I wouldn’t be surprised, even if he does lighten his schedule, if he breaks that one, too.

Joel, what do you think this record says about Djokovic as player and personality?



Hi Steve,

First, I agree with you that when it comes to major achievements, the number of weeks a player has been ranked No. 1 is darn close to the Slam singles tally. That accomplishment says much about Djokovic’s commitment to sustained excellence week after week.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Djokovic’s reign is that he’s done so while Federer and Nadal have continued to remain relevant. He’s done it with his brand of brilliance, discipline and creativity. And underneath all of that is a remarkable level of tenacity, perhaps most vividly demonstrated by Djokovic beating Federer at the majors three times from match point down.

Tennis geniuses like Djokovic have the ability to occupy past, present and future. In Djokovic’s case, when it comes to the past, that means displaying much of the sustained baseline prowess seen in the likes of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. Like those three, his ability to repeatedly strike the ball with pace, depth and accuracy is superb. Credit Djokovic’s formative coach, Jelena Gencic, for instilling him with such superb fundamentals. One can only imagine the exquisite detail covered in those early years.

In the present, of course, he has been masterful on all surfaces, often seamlessly transitioning from one to another with nary a gap in proficiency or performance.

As for the future, right down to this year’s title run in Melbourne, Djokovic is continuing to lay down the gauntlet. Hopefully, a smart junior today is studying Djokovic’s game closely—not simply to emulate it, but to overtake it. Will that require more power? Variety? Variations in court positioning? Bigger serves? Whatever the answer, by demanding so much from potential rivals, Djokovic has taken tennis forward in a major way.

Ten years ago, it wasn’t certain if that was going to happen. As 2010 ended, Djokovic was a man with one Grand Slam singles on his resume who’d spent the last several years ranked No. 3 in the world. There were times when I wondered if he was destined to remain a step behind Federer and Nadal.

But everything changed in 2011. Save for a lacuna that affected Djokovic from mid-2016 to mid-2018, he has proven profoundly sturdy.

It will be fascinating to see how Djokovic continues to manage himself. Amid the pandemic, matters of scheduling, pacing and fitness are major issues for all of the players.

Steve, what are your thoughts on how Djokovic will calibrate all these demands, both this year and perhaps even beyond?



Joel,

You say, rightly, “One of the most remarkable aspects of Djokovic’s reign is that he’s done so while Federer and Nadal have continued to remain relevant.”

That is undeniably true. Djokovic had to overtake two of the greatest players ever to own this record. But I wonder whether it has also helped him. With Rafa and Roger ahead of him, Djokovic had to dig deep and make the most of all of his talent to get to No. 1. Then he had to fight to stay there, because his two rivals were always ready to take the top spot back. When Djokovic won at Roland Garros in 2016 and completed his Djoker Slam, I felt like he had finally vanquished all of his competition. Which meant I wasn’t all that surprised when he suddenly went into a tailspin after that. Like a lot of top athletes, Djokovic thrives on proving himself, and with Nadal and Federer around, he’s always had something to prove. Having them ahead of him in the Slam chase has kept him focused in a way he might not have been had he broken all of their records years ago.

I like your point about how Djokovic has taken elements from tennis’ past, brought them up to date, and moved the men’s game forward. We have yet to see anyone advance it beyond him or do something truly new. Thiem, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios: They all have their talents, but none has the mentality or consistency needed to win virtually every match they play, which is what Djokovic has been doing for a decade. To me, Daniil Medvedev is someone who has shown that he could do something new, who could beat Djokovic at his own game, and maybe add a few aspects of his own. But we saw what happened to him against Novak in Melbourne. Djokovic still has something to prove.

Joel, you mention Djokovic’s first coach, Jelena Gencic. She taught him the fundamentals, but she also instilled in him a rare self-confidence. “She told me I was going to be No. 1, and I believed her,” Djokovic told me back in 2007, before he had spent even a week there. Having that belief is a big part of why he’s still there today.

And while Djokovic’s weeks-at-No. 1 record may not be technically unbreakable, it may be a couple of decades before someone approaches it. Other than Roger, Rafa and Andy Murray, nobody playing today has even reached No. 2 in the rankings. (That will change on Monday, when Medvedev occupies the position.)

Joel, do you see Djokovic staying at or near the top for four or five more years?



Steve,

As much as I resist making predictions, in this case I’ll say it’s easy to imagine Djokovic staying ranked right up there for several more years.

He will turn 34 in May. But as the likes of Federer and Tom Brady have shown, the aging process in sports is very different than it once was. Certainly Djokovic is fit and formidable enough to age quite well.

One of Djokovic’s most admirable qualities is his constant pursuit of improvement. Djokovic’s great rise to the top and repeated Slam victories was highlighted by a major shift in diet that greatly aided his fitness. There have also been significant enhancements to the Djokovic forehand (more topspin), backhand (incorporating a slice) and net game.

More recently, Djokovic added more variety and pace to his serve, an effort no doubt aided by his coach, serving maestro Goran Ivanisevic. At the Australian Open last month, Djokovic hit more aces—103—than anyone in the tournament. Granted, only Medvedev played as many matches in Melbourne as Djokovic. But the point remains: Djokovic knows that as he gets older, a better serve will help him win points more easily.

So, as the champions like to say, Djokovic is doing as much as possible to take responsibility for what he can control.

Then there’s the matter of the competition. Such contenders as Thiem, Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Zverev are all trying to take high-grade offense to a new level. After all, they must if they’re to topple their accomplished elders. Here’s the question: How much better can those men get?

No one knows the answer. Heck, who had any idea how much better Federer would get after his first Slam win in 2003? Ditto for Nadal, who won four straight times at Roland Garros from 2005-’08, but had yet to win a major elsewhere—and then over the next three years snapped up all the other big titles? And, as I mentioned, who could foresee the incredible strides Djokovic would take once 2011 began?

But as far as Djokovic goes, he has so much going for him. It begins with that incredible technique—as efficient as anyone in tennis history. It continues with his work ethic and grit in the heat of battle. And the extra ribbon is his relentless desire to leave a major mark. I’m looking forward to seeing more of that.

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Well, Earth's Mightiest has made it. And with that, a bit of a breakdown of what happened on his road to the 311...


He's had 5 streaks on top of the rankings, each of them being nearly a year long at the very least.

53 in July 2011 – July 2012
48 in November 2012 – October 2013
122 July 2014 – November 2016
52 November 2018 – November 2019
36 – February 2020 – March 2020 + August 2020 – Present...

This consistent brilliance has rewarded him with 6 Year-End #1 finishes, tying his childhood idol Pete Sampras' record last year, when he also became the oldest player to finish the year on top.

As world number 1, he has played 440 matches, winning 387 of them for a near 88% percentage.

In that time he's played 52 finals, winning 39 titles. Nearly half of his career success happened at the time when he was at the very top.

And of those 39, an incredible 32 titles were won at the big tournaments (Grand Slams + WTF + Masters 1000). Having also won all 14 of them, he's proved his ranking's worth at literally every single event.

Australian Open: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021
Indian Wells: 2015, 2016
Miami: 2012, 2015, 2016
Monte Carlo: 2013, 2015
Madrid: 2016, 2019
Rome: 2015, 2020
Roland Garros: 2016
Wimbledon: 2015, 2019
Rogers Cup: 2011, 2016
Cincinnati: 2020
US Open: 2011, 2015
Shanghai: 2015
Paris: 2014, 2015, 2019
World Tour Finals: 2012, 2014, 2015

The other seven are Doha: 2016; Dubai: 2013, 2020; Beijing: 2013, 2014, 2015; and Tokyo: 2019.

The standout record is at his beloved Australian Open, where he came to the tournament as world number 1 on six occasions... And won every time. 42-0 win-loss record down under as the best player in the world.

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