Novak Djokovic may win more Grand Slams than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but he will never be loved as much as they are.
The Serbian tennis star has won 17 major titles and is chasing Nadal (19) and the Fed Express (20). Djokovic has made no secret of his desire to overtake Federer as the Grand Slam leader in men’s tennis and would also like to beat his record as number 1 in the world (310 weeks) for most weeks.
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Djokovic’s reputation took a hit in 2020. From ignoring social distancing regulations during his unfortunate Adriatic tour, to founding a breakaway players’ association, to being disqualified for beating a line woman at the US Open, the 33-year-old only injured himself.
It’s not that he was Mr. Popularity to begin with. That was evident when he was ruthlessly booed on center court at last year’s Wimbledon final against Federer and again in the decision of the Australian Open this summer.
Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt said it must be “frustrating” for Djokovic to accept the fact that no matter how many wins he has, he will never be as attractive as his two biggest rivals.
“Obviously, he’s at a time when these two guys are so popular around the world, and it’s really hard for Novak to share that love with many other viewers of the sport,” Hewitt told news.com.au.
“That is the difficult thing. Roger and Rafa were certainly the two greatest ambassadors of my generation that you had hoped for our sport.
“For Novak this is certainly frustrating for him because he sometimes feels like the best player.
“His record against these two guys, especially in big tournaments, what he did in the slams (is brilliant) … but that audience support will never change for Roger and Rafa in my opinion.”
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Djokovic must know for sure that he has no chance of reaching the same heights as Federer and Nadal when it comes to global admiration – especially not after the year he had. But Hewitt said it was important not to fall into the trap of copying these two.
“Novak will go down as one of the greats and physically he will have a lot more chances of overtaking the other two in Grand Slams over the next five years,” said Hewitt.
“He just has to be himself. There is no point in copying other people or taking away Roger and Rafa’s fans because that is not going to happen.
“He just has to be himself, original. We all know what a great tennis player he is. “
If anyone knows a thing or two about salvation, it’s Hewitt. The back cap icon was a brash boy who rubbed some people the wrong way, as his competitiveness was interpreted by critics as a lack of humility.
But over time, he developed into an athlete his country could be proud of. A fighter who never gave up, Hewitt has become a symbol of everything Aussies love about their athletes.
For this reason, the two-time Grand Slam champion was selected as one of five candidates for the 2021 class of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lisa Raymond, Jonas Bjorkman and Sergi Bruguera.
Hewitt is the first Australian to be nominated since wheelchair user David Hall was introduced in 2015 and said it was flattering to be considered for such a prestigious award.
“It would be a dream come true to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame,” Hewitt told news.com.au. “As a junior player, you don’t really think about the possibility that you could be there one day.
“The actual Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island has always been a special place for me.
“It’s something you don’t really think about, but it’s obviously a great honor to be nominated.”
The successful candidates will be announced in early 2021.
From October 1st to 25th, fans can vote at vote.tennisfame.com which nominees should be accepted into the Hall of Fame.
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