02 July 2023 , 05:00
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Boris Becker once claimed Novak Djokovic felt ‘disrespected’ by the Wimbledon crowd.
Becker was probably wrong, but only in the sense there is a difference between being disrespected and disliked.
Djokovic rubs some people up the wrong way and the patrons at the All England Tennis Club have never taken to him in the same way as they took to Roger Federer.
After their classic final in 2019, Federer was a tearful loser and received tumultuous acclaim from the Centre Court audience while acknowledgement of Djokovic’s victory did not get too far above polite applause.
Of course, Djokovic has been unfortunate in the sense that his brilliance has come in an era when his two main rivals, Federer and Rafael Nadal, have been immensely popular.
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The names of Federer and Nadal still feature in official promotional material for this year’s Championships while Djokovic’s name is hardly being shouted from the Wimbledon rooftops.
In the early stages of the tournament, which begins tomorrow, Djokovic will only be box office if he loses.
Which is unlikely.
The last time Djokovic lost a match in a Grand Slam was at the French Open in the spring of 2022.
He is the defending Wimbledon champion, missed last year’s US Open because he is non-vaccinated against Covid and has won the first two Slams - in Australia and France - of 2023.
If he is again triumphant at Wimbledon, it will be a record-equalling eighth title and a 24th Grand Slam.
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Novak Djokovic is defending his Wimbledon title in SW19 (PA)The 36-year-old Serb is setting marks that will, almost certainly, never be threatened.
And the fact he has set those marks in the era of Federer and Nadal is why he should command total respect at Wimbledon over these next couple of weeks.
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The Centre Court crowd will not just be seeing one of the greatest-ever tennis players, they will be seeing one of the greatest-ever sportsmen.
It is probably an even money chance that Djokovic will become only the third player to win all four men’s Slams in a year (Don Budge did it in 1938 and Rod Laver did it in 1962 and 1969).
And bear in mind Djokovic not only missed the 2022 US Open because of his vaccination status but was also unable to compete in the 2022 Australian Open.
He was also disqualified from the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball.
Djokovic won a record 23rd grand slam title at Roland Garros (AFP via Getty Images)The remarkable thing about Djokovic is that at an age when physical exertion should be catching up with him, he appears to be getting stronger.
He has won six of the last eight Slams he has competed in.
Off the court, there have been controversies, some of them caused by his views on Covid-19, some by his political comments on the ongoing question of Kosovo’s independence.
But there has not been anything that should taint a truly remarkable career.
And if Becker was right when, two years ago, he made the disrespect claim, that will surely change over the next two weeks … and greatness will be acknowledged.