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Novak Djokovic’s Heroic Achievement at 37 Hailed by Aussie ATP Legend Who Stressed on His Deportation Ordeal

Published May 2, 2024 | 11:30 AM EDT

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In the cutthroat world of tennis, Novak Djokovic’s name is synonymous with tenacity and resilience. Holding a record of 24 Grand Slams to his name, Djokovic has earned 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles throughout his career. And Paul McNamee, who is a former ATP player himself, pointed out Djokovic’s successful career in his latest tweet. He wrote a special note owing to Djokovic’s illustrious career, bringing attention to the Serbian’s “remarkable achievements”.

Novak Djokovic did not have a great start to the season. After his Australian Open semifinals defeat, he could not make a powerful comeback in the Indian Wells or the Monte Carlo Masters. However, ruling at the top, he is still embracing his World No. 1 spot. Staying at the top for 423 weeks, he has finished the year with a No. 1 record eight times.

The Serbian player, who turns 37 this month’s 22nd, is now vying for a successful Olympic run this season. Referring to this immense success in “Djoker”‘s career, Paul McNamee took to his Twitter and posted, “After all Novak Djokovic has been through, including in my country, which would have broken many athletes. Let’s give credit where credit is due… being #1 turning 37 years of age is a remarkable achievement 👏”.

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Paul McNamee, former World No. 1 doubles player, addressed the controversy related to Djokovic’s appearance in the Australian Open post covid. During 2022, Djokovic, who refused to be vaccinated, was deported before his Australian Open match. But after a few months of struggles, he succeeded in resolving the issue and eventually reached the quarterfinals of the next year’s Australian Open.

McNamee referred to this and appreciated Djokovic’s perseverance amid adversity. However, his support for Djokovic extended during 2024’s Australian Open as well. There, he raised concerns about the Serbian’s physical struggles on-court.

Paul McNamee was worried about Novak Djokovic’s illness during his AO match

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Before coming to the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic revealed he was suffering from wrist injuries. And it did affect him during the opening rounds of the tournament, but he managed to earn his victory. But during his third round performance, he was hit by a viral fever that further weakened the 36-year-old. Although he won that match, Djokovic’s team’s concern during the game caught the attention of Paul McNamee.

He took to his X and posted, “In all my time, I’ve never seen a player box so concerned at 5 love up in the first set than Goran & co in Djokovic’s box. He’s clearly not well. What mental fortitude to be able to push through it, but there will be limits”.

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Although he finished his quarterfinal match with a victory against Taylor Fritz, Novak Djoković failed to produce the same result in the next match. His dream of securing his 11th title in the Australian Open came to an end while competing against World No. 2, Jannik Sinner. But as McNamee rightly pointed out, Djokovic’s resilience while facing the challenging times of his career makes him deserve a lot of credit.

Written by:

Ankita Banerjee

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Ankita Banerjee is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. She seamlessly blends her keen interest in writing with an ability to analytically comprehend things. During her college days, she contributed numerous articles to the college magazine, showcasing her early passion.
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Edited by:

Deepanshi Bajaj