When Novak Djokovic is angry, then there is something which has seriously hurt or troubled him. On Monday evening at Roland Garros, the defending champion picked up a knee injury and yet showed the fighting skills of a warrior as he outlasted Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to hobble into the quarter-finals.
There is a serious love-hate relationship, over the last few years, between Djokovic, fans owing allegiance to Rafael Nadal and, now, the French Open organisers. What happened during the course of the win on Monday was bizarre, rightly called ‘absurd’ by John McEnroe, the former enfant terrible of tennis.
Once known as Mac-In-A-Row, McEnroe never minced words when he had to let the expletives flow, just like the champagne strokes he uncorked from his left-handed grip on the tennis racquet. After all, for a man who was identified with creativity on the court and the most incredible shots, the New Yorker in McEnroe always ensured he took on rivals, chair umpires, tournament officials and more.
McEnroe was economical with his words, as he called out the French Open organisers. By McEnroe standards, the use of ‘absurd’ sufficed to show he has mellowed. Yet, deep down, he remains a man who will speak the truth on air.
At a time when tennis (il)literacy on social media is at its peak and blokes call out Djokovic as an “actor”, you can be sure they don’t know the difference between a man who is putting his health at risk and faking it. To see Djokovic in excruciating pain, holding his right knee, made for depressing viewing. For the ignoramuses, this was a champion feigning injury, or faking it.
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At the 2023 Australian Open in melting Melbourne, Djokovic moved gingerly on court. Yet, match after match, like a warrior who had returned from a tour of duty in the Balkans, he pulled off wins. It was that spirit which saw him win the tournament. The joke then was that Djokovic’s hamstring tear was not a serious one. You can fake injury, but MRI scans do not lie. As confirmed later by Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, the three-centimetre tear was no lie.
This time, at the French Open, rain has ruined the plans of the men and women who assign matches at a Grand Slam. Yes, nobody can control the weather. But then, to schedule matches at close to midnight Paris time and witness a 3am finish is madness. If that five-setter against Lorenzo Musetti had drained every ounce out of Djokovic, what transpired on Monday evening against Cerundolo was worse.
The clay courts are slippery by nature. Indeed, the surface is as challenging as old, slick grass, where economy in steps, stride length and being nimble on your feet is paramount. Then again, on old grass at Wimbledon, where the bounce was low and the ball skidded, a player had to be on bended knee, most of the time.
In Paris, this year, the clay has been slippery and a bit wet. It’s nice to recall old images of players sliding on the baseline, making retrievals and then keeping the ball in play. Djokovic does not play his tennis like that. He churns out strokes on either flank, bold and beautiful, imparting power and changing the angles. He has also not hesitated in funneling back and forth to change the pattern of play.
The world, inside the stadium and on TV, could see how Djokovic slipped. And that was after he had requested Wayne McEwen, the tournament supervisor, that the court be swept more often for the surface to be safer. Footage of Djokovic in an animated conversation with McEwen suggested he was angry. “It’s not okay,” thundered Djokovic to McEwen when he was courtside during a changeover. At that time, the defending champion was angry and in trouble. The debate was over how often the court could be “flattened”. McEwen, who has rubbed many players the wrong way over the years, was unmoved.
“For the last couple of weeks, I have had slight discomfort in the right knee,” said Djokovic afterwards. “The late finishes from few nights did not help, In the third game of the second set (on Monday) I slipped and fell, that affected the knee. At one point, I did not know whether I should continue. I got medication, and then, after the third set, I asked for more (treatment). That was the maximum dose that kicked in after 30 to 45 minutes.”
Djokovic has subsequently undergone scans, and there is a worry that he might not step out for his quarter-final. Knowing Djokovic, he will do whatever it takes to get back on court on Wednesday. “I screwed up my knee because I made a quick move,” said a piqued Djokovic afterwards. “I’m sliding and slipping all the time. The only thing I am asking is if every changeover you can sweep the court.”
There were traces of McEnroe in the way Djokovic emoted on Monday. He was hobbling and stumbling but showed that Escape to Victory is much more than a movie. Some fans fear that Djokovic may have to give a walkover in the last eight. But then, from a man who has faced all kinds of turmoil in his life, the theatre called Roland Garros could see one more warrior act if he can make it on to the court to execute his plan.
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