Planet Novak
Dictionaries are full of words but sometimes it's hard to find the right ones to describe something. Like Novak Djokovic's jubilee, tenth triumph at Aussie Open
Source: B92, Zoran Kecman
There are no words, so comprehensive, to explain what tennis true number one player did on that January 29, 2023.
That said, they would have to carry all the charge, all the passion, the palette of emotions that Novak Djokovic displayed on his way to another ascent to tennis' Mount Everest. They would have to carry at least a grain of altruism embodied by Novak Djokovic in his unstoppable finishing towards the realization of cosmic tennis goals.
When no one believes that there is a stratosphere above the stratosphere, Novak proves it.
"Go back to your planet, Novak," tweeted Spanish tennis player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after Djokovic's 22nd Grand Slam triumph.
Another of Novak's colleagues, Australian John Millman, said:
"Rod's arena, but Novak's court".
Some repented, bit their lip and, like Craig Tiley, at least partially atone for last year's sin.
He made it possible for Novak Djokovic to have all seven performances as evening tennis events, which suited Novak perfectly.
Craig Tiley knew last year and all these years that Novak equals Melbourne. And it paid off for him to withstand the barrage of critics about how he pandered to the champion. If anyone deserves it, it is definitely Novak.
But really, what planet is Novak from? How is it possible that with so much burden on his back, in so many trials, he is always the one who comes out victorious?
It's no wonder that Stefanos Tsitsipas burst out with that attack of sincerity at the trophy awarding ceremony, when he said that "no one greater than Novak has ever picked up a racket". Well done, Stefanos, well done...
We can go by the numbers in Novak's grandiose triumph and conclude that the sport of tennis has never seen anyone bigger than him.
Novak has already broken all the scales, set almost all relevant records according to his parameters and thus shut the mouths of all those who are still debating who the so-called GOAT is.
Novak is the GOAT. The undeniable GOAT. Full stop.
He is GOAT because, on his way to history, he had to follow a path that was twice as difficult as that of his rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Who have never been so satanized by the media. Who never had the opportunity to have ordinary pranksters and politicians tear up their visas and shamefully put them in detention, and then deport them for "delict of opinion" as the last criminal.
They were not forbidden to compete in any tournaments because they simply adhered to the simple human principle about the autonomy of the human body, according to the principle, "my body, my decision".
You see, tennis history and records are not just mere numbers, titles, points - there is also everything that is seemingly invisible, these are the circumstances under which a goal was reached.
That's why Novak is fully honest when he says that this was the biggest victory of his career.
The biggest - because on the other side of the net was not just one tennis lion, hungry for success.
The greatest, because all that anger, rage, terrible sense of injustice that was inflicted on him had to be left under the ashes, in order to pave the way to that jubilee tenth Australian Cup with the power and precision of the shot and the power of will.
The biggest because it is above all moral - this was a triumph over all senseless rules, amendments, laws, over all political factors that prevented him from doing this last year. Victory over tyrannical authority and senseless bureaucracy that declares a healthy person dangerous to society.
The greatest because in this madness of the 21st century, he showed that there are still those who, despite all the injustices inflicted, can express infinite love, kindness, who forgive in a Christian way.
"So little is forgiven today. Simply, I want to remind and see that in the world, that they understand more, accept, show more compassion, before condemning something," said Novak in one of the sincerest addresses to the media in almost two decades.
It's easy to judge, hard to forgive.
"The wisest thing is to let it go, let's leave past, let's move on," says Novak.
Is it possible to go further than this, is it possible to still fly at those heights, without the Sun scorching your wings like Icarus? Knowing Novak, who constantly reminds us to dare dream big, I have no doubt that I hear his answer: "It can, it can".
Can the red dust of Roland Garros near the end of spring, turn into the scene of a battle the tennis world has never seen before? For handball, not tennis result on the score board - 23:22? It can, it can.
Last year, Rafael Nadal triumphantly took advantage of the fact that Novak's door was closed in Australia and won the title.
Now he's back home already after the second round, and he's not number one.
The tennis powers that applied stupid rules crippled Novak for a number of opportunities, took away a bunch of points and thus forced him off the head of the tennis caravan, wanting to replace this tennis scenario with another, with younger forces.
But it doesn't quite work out that way.
The "tennis universe" put things in their place and returned Novak, exactly in Australia, back to the throne, where he truly belongs. With one little thing, the record, that this is the biggest jump from one position to the first. From No. 5 to No 1.
The universe also took good care of all those like politicians Daniel Andrews, Scott Morrison, Alex Hawke, who last year played the most shameful and dishonorable roles the world of sports has ever seen.
But fortunately, Novak's human mission, that act of defending a small man against the nature of political forces, opened the eyes of many and made him not only a symbol of invincibility on the court, but also off court.
He also showed the daredevils, who dared to come to Melbourne from the continent where he was banned from entering and observe his immortal tennis act, how badly they were mistaken when they believed that he would break under the force of their "rules".
That computer guru, could only look bitterly at the sea of Serbian flags on the stands and banners with "Novax" inscriptions, pretending to be a tennis fan and nothing more, sitting in seats that cost $27,500.
It is paradoxical that he offered the entire planet a "solution" that he himself probably did not accept, so that at the end of that last week of January he would be "morally vaccinated".
By Novax vaccine, of course. Tennis, of course. This is how great champions "vaccinate". It is a vaccine of morality, a vaccine that protects against the virus of excessive gluttony, madness, rabies. A vaccine that has no visible needle, but whose sting hurts all those who cross the lines of humanity.
Now it's up to him to come home, and while he spouts his carbon dioxide nonsense while cruising the planet, explain to his rich friends why they can't watch the best in the world (still) in Indian Wells, Miami, New York.
It is up to Novak to continue with his human and sports mission, to push the limits of what is possible and remain consistent with everything that made him tennis immortal.
That he expresses his love for everyone, above all the family that gave birth to such a champion, that he continues to spread the glory of Serbia throughout the world.
Another two, three, four years, as long as he has the feeling that he can last at these heights. And we believe that even at almost 36, he can. He really can.
When such sports victories are also moral, the satisfaction is greater.
That's why this Australian triumph will have an indelible watermark on it. With the image of Novak Djokovic.
It will be indestructible and will last forever in a world that is irreversibly changing before our eyes.
To remind us all that there is a higher power over the earthly power.
