You win some matches and lose some matches, but Novak Djokovic has been finding criticism aplenty, no matter which way the cake cuts. Now, the legendary Serb’s father has lashed out against a particularly abrasive journalist.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner polarized crowds and audiences in the finals of Wimbledon 2023. But after a decisive loss in the five-setter, the emotional veteran player found himself being vilified in the press. A particularly malicious nickname seems to have struck a raw nerve in his father, Djokovic Sr.

Novak Djokovic’s father finally speaks out

The former World No.1 has had his fair share of heartbreaking losses over a storied career. But after his stinging Wimbledon loss, Montenegran journalist Nebojsa Sofranac pointed out a startling statistic. In a harsh Facebook post, he then labeled the Serb as the ‘L.O.A.T’.

The ‘L.O.A.T.’ or Loser of All Time – a play on the ‘G.O.A.T.’ or Greatest of All Time epithet – did not go down well with Srdjan Djokovic, Novak’s father. In response, he commented to the Serbian media company, Republika: “May God help that man. If he can even be helped, and if he really means everything he wrote.”

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Djokovic Sr. stood by Novak whose Wimbledon loss was a hard pill to swallow. Had he won, he would have equaled Roger Federer’s landmark record of 8-championship titles in the grass tournament. Moreover, he would also have furthered the bid for his first Calendar Grand Slam. Despite the perspective presented by the Montenegrin journalist, the facts stand, even though he has since then spoken up again.

‘People Want Chaos’- Former World No. 7 Breaks Silence on Relentless Novak Djokovic Criticism Stemming from Boredom

Sofranac vehemently defends himself against Novak Djokovic comments

But Nebojsa Sofranac’s statistics present a picture to reckon with. Novak Djokovic has reached a total of 35 Grand Slam finals, of which he has lost a whopping 12 – the most in the Open Era, thus reducing his winning percentage to about 65.7%. Most of these losses have been against Spaniards – five against Rafael Nadal and one against Carlos Alcaraz. The journalist thus wrote: “What did you do to him, Carlitos?… How many shepherds will stop watching tennis and cry in anguish on my wall? The Spaniard has given Novak a new nickname.”

However, after Srdjan Djokovic’s response, Sofranac issued a defense. Calling it an unnecessary retrospective, he explained that it was a “comic campaign” or a “meme”. Clarifying his stance that he did not think that Djokovic was the LOAT, Nebojsa instead regards him as the greatest winner in history.

While this has certainly heated up the G.O.A.T. debate again, what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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