There are champions loved by crowds, capable of channeling the love of hordes of fans, transforming it into strength. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have done it throughout their careers. Novak Djokovic did it too, even though the Serbian champion has often received critical treatment from the crowds. Many, mistakenly and, perhaps, stupidly, saw him as a third wheel, ready to take the stage that - according to the aforementioned fans - rightfully belonged to Federer and Nadal. Nole did it, regardless of the crowds, with the brute force of his robotic tennis, carving out a sensational space for himself in the history of sport, becoming the tennis GOAT.
Nole is trying to recover in time from the meniscus injury suffered at Roland Garros, which forced him to undergo surgery. His presence at the Wimbledon Championship is still uncertain and only with the publication of the main draw, scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 28 June, will it be understood whether the outgoing finalist will be among the protagonists of the tournament.
John McEnroe, in an interview with iNews, praised the 37-year-old from Belgrade, talking about the treatment reserved by crowds and fans for the Serbthroughout his career. According to McEnroe, over the years Nole has played the role of the villain of the Big Three, infiltrating the most beloved Roger and Rafa.
"Rafa and Roger have a legendary reputation and they deserve it. They were incredible. Novak not only equaled them, but surpassed them both in terms of results, which seemed impossible. Both Rafa and Roger are magnificent people. They are loved and respected all over the world. Novak, on the other hand, is treated unfairly, but I think that, in a certain sense, there is always a need for a good guy and a bad guy. Having rivalries like this helps the sport, but it was unfair to him, frankly, because he's a great man for our sport, both on and off the court," said McEnroe.
The American legend then took the opportunity to praise the Serbian champion for the way in which he transforms energy that is not always perceived as positive.
"Novak was able to do something that I couldn't do so brilliantly: apply the maxim 'in bad weather, good luck'
When people want to see the challenger or a not-so-well-known face win, he uses that as fuel to keep going. It's an impressive quality that cannot be underestimated," he told.
