Australian Open: Farce without end - Novak Djokovic's ego trip in the Corona crisis
“That can develop into a worst-case scenario” or “Novak feels chosen” are just a few of the statements that reflect the anger about NovakDjokovic's “exemption” for the Australian Open. Jörg Allmeroth dares to take a look behind the scenes for us.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Jan 05, 2022, 04:11 pm
Novak Djokovic looked out over the Mediterranean in a lounge of the fashionable Monte Carlo Country Club on a soft spring day a few years ago. He had already become a world star, he had overtaken Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the world rankings, had become number one. And now the young man from Belgrade was nibbling on the last question of a lengthy interview. Djokovic said at the time that he did not know whether he should really answer the question. But then of course he did, quite the media professional that he is. The question was, how would you describe Novak Djokovic to someone who has never heard of him? Djokovic's answer was quite illuminating: “The bad sides? He's jealous sometimes. Maybe he's a little too emotional, too ambitious. The good thing: He's a communicative person. Full of energy, full of life. He openly shows his soul to the outside world. And he's responsible and friendly. "
Even now, in the first days of 2022, you could sign some of what Djokovic said about Djokovic. There is only one serious, no longer insignificant limitation. Because in the Corona crisis, tennis leader Djokovic did not turn out to be a role model in the last two years, a far-sighted, solidary leadership figure. But largely as a man with a kind of fantasy of omnipotence, as a self-centered actor who likes and prefers to claim privileges instead of exemplifying common sense.
“Shame”, “double standards”, “greed for money”?
At the end of a capricious, often disconcerting ego trip, there is now the amazing participation of the number 1 player on the planet in the Australian Open 2022 with a special medical permit, past the compulsory vaccination for the top professionals. The 34-year-old and his entourage have often lamented in the recent past about a lack of attention from fans and inappropriate appreciation of the great successes - but now Djokovic will presumably experience a gauntlet in Melbourne. He of all people, the record winner of the Grand Slam Down Under, the celebrated series winner there, will have to expect angry reactions from colleagues, but above all from fans and the general public.
In the comment columns of the Australian newspapers and online media, after the announcement of the start permit, it was already clear what Djokovic and the host Tennis Australia could do on January 17th, the day on which the first major tournament of the season starts. There was talk of “corruption”, of “shame”, “double standards”, “greed for money” and “shameful celebrity bonus” for the nine-time winner Djokovic. But iron tennis fans also threatened to boycott the competition, to return tickets that had already been bought, and to protest on the site on the Yarra River. "I think the whole thing can develop into a worst-case scenario for the organizers and also for Djokovic," said a former top Australian tennis official.
In the international tennis scene, the right to start for vaccine opponents Djokovic is already being traded as the most serious major damage event since the Sharapova doping case. And that's also because the assertions of the Grand Slam host that the decision-making process in the Djokovic case was carried out on a fair and independent basis is not really believed. Critics objected that one could hardly imagine that Djokovic's anonymity was guaranteed when applying for a special permit, and that there was too much at stake for Tennis Australia and its alert boss Craig Tiley.
The Grand Slam boss had already drawn criticism on the fifth continent last year when he had pushed through the Grand Slam spectacle with all sorts of haggling and brawling with the political decision-makers. With Djokovic's admission to the 2022 tournament, however, Tiley could finally have gone too far in his limitless business acumen. Nobody could understand why Djokovic was spreading the red carpet, wrote a reader of the "Sydney Morning Herald" - in a country where relatives were otherwise separated for 600 days during the pandemic and Melbourne was in a tough lockdown six times.
Omnipotence fantasies of the industry leader
And Djokovic? It was clear that the best tennis player in the world was fully aware of the consequences and consequences of this extra tour, but that he didn't care at all. The process actually only reflected how the man from Belgrade had always behaved during the world crisis - namely according to the motto: I do what I like. That was how it was with his failed Adria tour in spring 2020, which took place in front of packed spectators and with sprawling party nights. And had a fatal aftermath with a series of infected professionals and fans. Back then, an American professional colleague was already blaspheming in a WhatsApp group: "It looks as if he wanted to show the globe the middle finger."
Perhaps Djokovic and his surroundings already feel free of earthly troubles and laws. Djokovic's mother Dijana recently declared herself to be the secret pioneer of her son's Wimbledon triumph in 2018, with astonishing justification. When Roger Federer had two match points in the fifth set of the final thriller, she grabbed her cross from the Don River and prayed for her son to win. “And then Novak fended off the match points and won. He was saved by God, "says his mother," Novak also believes in God. He feels chosen. He carries a cross that brings him peace and happiness. "
However, as one had to learn in the corona situation, Djokovic trusts more than one god. Or idols. Because despite all the reason and coolness that have shaped Djokovic's highly efficient game, one thing is surprising: his penchant for esotericism, pseudoscience, and very alternative medicine. His closeness to charlatans or mental gurus who, like the Spaniard Felipe Imaz, preach a strange peace-and-love mantra. When Djokovic once turned to the slogans of the ascetic Spaniard, successful coach Boris Becker soon left him. Djokovic later shot the rest of his long-time service team, only to soon ruefully bring the buddies back. With the meek remark that he had meanwhile "strayed from the path" and no longer saw "who is important to me."
Shortly after he came out against vaccination in the Corona crisis, he presented himself as a fan of a bizarre, windy theory. In a conversation with his supposed "brother" Chervin Jafariah, a former Iranian real estate agent, the world number one made the claim that people could purify the molecules of polluted water with sheer power of thought. Could his wife Jelena slow him down? Rather doubtful. In the end, the ambitious wife for her part disturbed by spreading a dubious Instagram post in which the corona pandemic was explained as a result of the new 5G technology. He and Jelena, says Djokovic, are “soul mates”.
"You can destroy anything with one mistake"
Djokovic is known in the tennis world for always giving his actions a verbose philosophical superstructure, the banal analysis of tactics, strategy and strokes is no longer enough for him. He can be very engaging, charming, open-hearted, humorous. Always in the mood for jokes, like in his wild early days on the circuit, when he performed stage-ready imitations of his dear comrades-in-arms. He is also a remarkable benefactor, with his foundation looking after disadvantaged children, especially at home. Even acquaintances and friends say that he has "broken" himself a lot in the last few weeks and months, and that his grip on the ground has been lost.
Djokovic's antics were reminiscent of a warning that the shrewd grand manager Ion Tiriac once gave to his teenage protégé Boris Becker. One can build up respect, respect and appreciation over the years, said Tiriac, “but you can destroy everything with one mistake. In one day. ”In Australia, the love of tennis fans for literally exceptional players has grown pretty cold. A Twitter user mocked that the player who beat Djokovic in Melbourne this year would no longer have to pay for his beer in Australia for life.