Serbia's Novak Djokovic raised his arms in jubilation two Sundays ago at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Djokovic's straight−set pummeling of Great Britain's Andy Murray marked the Serb's second Australian Open championship in four years and was especially impressive given his win over the legendary Roger Federer in the semifinals just two days earlier. Djokovic, who was anointed "King Djoker" by an Australian newspaper the next day, regally held his trophy over the Rod Laver Arena balcony amid hundreds of screaming fans.
Djokovic now looks like he belongs among the best−in−the−world tennis discussion, along with Federer and No.1 Rafael Nadal. Only a few years ago, however, King Djoker was locked in the public's dungeon, reserved for weaklings and cheaters. Just nine months ago, at the Serbian Open, Djokovic was the total opposite of a champion — bent over, face contorted, gasping for air.
That Djokovic has been so successful in his career is astonishing, considering that the 23−year−old sometimes retires from matches for an unusual reason — because he simply cannot breathe. The Serb has kept the exact nature of his breathing issues close to the vest, but the problem has plagued his young career and at times upset opponents and fans alike.
In 2005, his first time in the US Open main draw and his introduction to what can be an unforgiving New York crowd, Djokovic collapsed on the court at 2−5 in the fifth and decisive set against Frenchman and crowd favorite Gael Monfils. After nearly 15 minutes of writhing on the ground, the young Serb bounced back up and surged to win the match 7−5. He was promptly booed off the court, while his parents, now familiar to all serious tennis fans, looked on quizzically from the stands.
Djokovic's lengthy injury timeout on that sweltering day became his trademark for the next few years, rubbing the New York fans the wrong way. He was again booed in 2008 during a quarterfinal match at the US Open against Andy Roddick, when fans accused the Serb of faking an injury.
In a sports world that cherishes machismo in its athletes — yes, even in tennis players — the possibility that a player is using an injury timeout as a strategic tactic or pretending to be hurt is unacceptable.
It's been an uphill battle for Djokovic to gain the favor of tennis fans around the globe. The Serb's injury timeouts and retirements from matches have decreased a bit since 2007, after Djokovic's sinus surgery. Yet his withdrawal from the Serbian Open quarterfinal last May for "allergies" shows that the new Australian Open champ still has a way to go before he's mentioned in the same conversation as guys like Federer, who once notoriously made the semifinals of the Australian Open while unknowingly struggling with a case of mononucleosis.
Seeing Djokovic breathing freely as he yet again holds up a major trophy, though, makes it much easier to embrace the young Serb. He has won over the Australian crowd. Tennis' elite already features a Swiss former hothead and a Spaniard with bad knees. Maybe a young Serb with asthma is next.
