Google News 'Novak Djokovic would probably need three more Australian Opens to...', says expert
by SIMONE BRUGNOLI | VIEW 10991
"Novak Djokovic has a good chance of becoming the most successful tennis player of any time, but there is always a new darkness that hangs over him. The pitch to the linesman, the anti-Covid vaccine issue and many other controversies.
Why do these things always happen to Nole? It is clear that big companies prefer athletes who have a totally clear image ". Mike Nakajima, former director of Nike's tennis department, expressed his opinion about Novak Djokovic in a long interview with CNN.
Nakajima's words went around the world and added a new voice to the eternal debate about the Serbian champion. Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' former coach, responded via tweet and defended Djokovic. "Respond to Nakajima about what he said about Nike and Djokovic.
We can agree or not, we can like Novak or not. Personally I prefer a real human being with his qualities, beliefs and flaws than a false perfect image of perfection. To sanctify perfection is to deny our condition as human beings", wrote the French coach.
Djokovic underwent a medical examination in Milan last Tuesday to check the condition of his left leg. The man from Belgrade had to live with a leg problem during the Australian Open, but that didn't stop him from winning the 22nd Grand Slam of his career.
Djokovic is expected to return to the courts at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai, scheduled from February 27 to March 4. It was in Dubai that the Serb played his first tournament of 2022 after skipping the Australian Open due to his visa being revoked.
Djokovic will try to redeem himself from the poor performance that led him to lose in the quarterfinals against Jiri Vesely. The Czech tennis player defeated Djokovic in straight sets on that occasion and reached the final in Dubai: a final that he later lost to Andrey Rublev.
Novak Djokovic comes from winning the Australian Open for the tenth time in his career, a tournament that meant the 22nd Grand Slam and allowed him to return to the top of the ATP rankings.
Trollope on Nole Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is well-versed in rewriting record books.
“I started monitoring the charts before the 2023 Australian Open started,” said Trollope. "Djokovic stood fourth at 68 wins on Rod Laver Arena, and by playing and winning all 7 of his matches on the court, he is now third in the rankings with 75 victories.
He has leapfrogged Nadal in the rankings and is only two wins behind Serena Williams. That would put Novak at almost 38 years of age, so I’m not sure if that would happen. But, he looks indestructible,” the author concluded.
