Novak Is Back – By: Jack Neworth

Written by: Staff on 25th August 2012

Novak Is Back - By: Jack Neworth

epa03293129 Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates his win over compatriot Viktor Troicki in their fourth round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 02 July 2012. EPA/JONATHAN BRADY |

In Toronto this past Sunday, current #2 in the world, Novak Djokovic cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Richard Gasquet of France to win his second straight Rogers Cup title and third overall. (And 12^th Master Series 1000 championship.) One could say Novak is back. (I did in my title because, well, I’m a sucker for rhymes.) But, the truth is, if Djokovic was “gone” at all, it wasn’t very far away.

Yes, Novak slipped from #1 in the world to #2 after Wimbledon; and yes it’s been since April since he won his last tournament, the Sony Erickson in Miami; and yes he lost at Wimbledon and twice in the Olympics. (Hard to remember when Djokovic lost twice in a row.)

But by anybody’s standards, even among the very elite competitors, 2012 has been an outstanding year for Djokovic. The problem is we’re judging it by comparing it to 2011 which ranks in the category of historic. At 70-6 and winner of 3 Slams, Pete Sampras declared Djokovic’s season “One of the best achievements in all of sports

All Novak has done this year is win the Australian (5^th slam at age 25) reach the French finals and the Wimbledon semis. If he were to win the U.S. Open coming up in a few weeks, 2012 would suddenly become a banner year.

Speaking of the Open, which is played on perhaps his favorite surface, Novak seems focused and determined to regain his #1 ranking. (Math has never been my strong suit but I believe it’s possible he could do it before the Open should he win the Cincinnati Masters and Roger Federer “cooperate” by not getting to the finals.)

How determined is Djokovic to return to #1? I saw a quote recently that applies. “Once one stands at the summit, one can never forget the view.” I’m also reminded of a quote of Andre Agassi on the psychological advantages of being number one in the world, “You win matches in the locker room.”

Regarding the intimidation factor of being #1, back in the day, boxer Mike Tyson seemed to “win” during the pre-fight introductions. (Tyson recently appeared on Broadway in a one-man show directed by Spike Lee and got rave reviews. Go figure.)

I’m not suggesting there’s a parallel between Novak and Mike’s show business ambitions, but there’s no denying that in the body of a supremely gifted tennis player is the wacky spirit of a comedian. The nickname “Djoker” a portmanteau of his surname and the word joker.came from Novak’s highly popular and hilarious impressions of fellow players, many of whom are his friends. (“Djoker” is certainly a better nickname than Carrot Top, right?)

The comical side of Novak’s personality became evident after a 2007 U.S. Open quarterfinal win when, prompted by Michael Barkann on national TV, he delighted the packed house with impersonations of Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova. (The latter of which ultimately led to a classic TV commercial where Maria doesn’t find the impression that funny.)

Novak’s comic repertoire includes impersonations of McEnroe and Federer, among others. What’s brilliant is that, in doing them, Novak reveals quirks and movements that we tennis fans have gotten so used to we don’t notice anymore. (Maria’s repeated and high ball bounce at the service line is spot on.)

So where am I going with all this? I’m just saying if the tennis “shtick” ever runs its course, Novak could have comedy to fall back on. Think about it. When other players lose in the early rounds of a tournament, it can be very depressing to have come all that way for so little. But, if heaven forbid, Djoker loses early, he could still have a gig at the local “Chuckles” or “Laugh Factory.”

If Djoker’s comedy routine continues to develop, who knows, one day when a sports writer asks, “Where are you playing next?” he might be able to answer, “The big room at Caesars.” After all, there’s a finite time period in which one can make a living at tennis, whereas the late George Burns was playing nightclubs when he was 100.

Okay, maybe I’ve gone a bit too far. Yet, I know what it looks like when someone gets bitten by the comedy bug and Novak has it. To see for yourself, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rMyJKqwG8.

Leaving the mirth for a moment, to get a true picture of Novak Djokovic’s remarkable journey from a childhood in a war-ravaged country to his winning Wimbledon click here: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7412780n. The very moving “60 Minutes” segment is titled “From War to Wimbledon” and runs a fascinating 13 minutes and, for a tennis fan (or anyone really) it’s absolutely worth watching.

Lastly, if you attend the tournament in Cincinnati or at the U.S. Open try to pay close attention to Novak’s hitting partner, former pro Dusan Vemic. Why such an unusual request? Okay, in the name of full disclosure, Dusan proudly wears the very stylish 10sballs.com patches on his tennis clothes. No wonder Novak is back.

(Jack Neworth is a freelance writer in Santa Monica and co-author of the screenplay “Men in White” about the life and times of tennis legend Pancho Gonzalez and his tempestuous forty-year friendship with HOF Pancho Segura who, at 91, is alive and well in La Costa, California. Jack can be reached at jnsmdp@aol.com)

Topics: Djoker, London Olympic tennis, Nole, Novak, Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Serbian tennis news, Sports, Tennis News