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The unstoppable rise of Novak Djokovic
On the weekend when the world said goodbye to a sportsman known to all as The Greatest, it is perhaps time to consider the achievements of Novak Djokovic.
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Not by way of comparison, obviously. The timing would be crass, the argument unwinnable; boxing and tennis bear scant resemblance aside from the gladiatorial aspect of two men in a rectangle.
Yet does Djokovic have an active equal in the world of sport right now? And has there ever been a tennis player quite like him? Not in close on 50 years at least.
Rod Laver was the last to hold all four Grand Slam titles, in 1969. He went one better than Djokjovic, winning them in the same season.
Yet Djokovic is on course for that, too, having already collected the 2016 Australian Open. He will have considered the French the big one, though, the monkey on his back.
Three finals, three defeats; and then ominously 6-3 down in the first set to Andy Murray on Sunday. It is testament, then, to Djokovic's mental strength, not to mention his virtuoso skills, that his next two sets represented the peak of achievement at Roland Garros this summer.
Rod Laver was the last to hold all four Grand Slam titles, in 1969. He went one better than Djokjovic, winning them in the same season.
Yet Djokovic is on course for that, too, having already collected the 2016 Australian Open. He will have considered the French the big one, though, the monkey on his back.
Three finals, three defeats; and then ominously 6-3 down in the first set to Andy Murray on Sunday. It is testament, then, to Djokovic's mental strength, not to mention his virtuoso skills, that his next two sets represented the peak of achievement at Roland Garros this summer.
He dismantled Murray 6-1, 6-2, dismantled the best defence in the game, and a player who had turned in his finest performance on clay to defeat reigning champion Stan Wawrinka in the semi-final. Murray rallied and the fourth and final set was tighter, 6-4, but that was as much down to Djokovic's nerves as he sought to claim victory.
This plainly meant an extraordinary amount to him. At the game's conclusion, Djokovic fell backwards on to the gritty surface, his arms and legs spread-eagled, part joy, part relief.
As the partisan Parisian crowd celebrated he went to the middle of the court and drew a giant heart in the clay with his racket, imitating the gesture of three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten.
He dismantled Murray 6-1, 6-2, dismantled the best defence in the game, and a player who had turned in his finest performance on clay to defeat reigning champion Stan Wawrinka in the semi-final. Murray rallied and the fourth and final set was tighter, 6-4, but that was as much down to Djokovic's nerves as he sought to claim victory.
This plainly meant an extraordinary amount to him. At the game's conclusion, Djokovic fell backwards on to the gritty surface, his arms and legs spread-eagled, part joy, part relief.
As the partisan Parisian crowd celebrated he went to the middle of the court and drew a giant heart in the clay with his racket, imitating the gesture of three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten.
Then he fell gratefully into it and lay on his back just the same. What to do next? He aimed his racket into the crowd - careful - and then rounded up the ball girls and boys, leading them in what football fans will know as the Borussia Dortmund celebration. Hands linked, arms raised, to a big cheer from all four sides of the ground.
Murray could only look on, in impotent frustration and some wonder. He had been down this path so many times, facing the painful truth that, once again, the best man won. Yes, there was a missed opportunity - in the first game of the second set, Murray had advantage with a forehand cross-court winner, but allowed Djokovic to recover, winning the next three points.
Yes, the margins were often painfully slight, but it is an inescapable fact that for 17 games lasting slightly less than 90 minutes, Murray could not live with his opponent.
At his best, no-one can. There are many who think this is a golden era for tennis and Djokovic now bestrides it, like a Colossus. Federer won three Grand Slams in a season on three occasions, but could never land the French Open.
The year he won the French and Wimbledon back to back, he lost in Australia and America. He never won the first two of the season; nor did Nadal. So close, but no cigar. Djokovic can spark one up, put his feet on his coffee table, and the four big prizes, too.
Some say it isn't legitimate unless they are all won in the same season - but from where Djokovic sits the view will look pretty good.
Tiger Woods certainly felt that way when he won the US Open, Open, PGA Championship and the following year's US Masters in succession.
Now Djokovic resides in that company. Woods, Federer, Laver, the greats of modern sport. On his day, he performs the impossible, and Sunday was one of those days.
When he plays like this, the most overused word in commentary must be 'somehow'. Somehow, Djokovic got to the net; somehow Djokovic made the return; somehow he found the angle, somehow he took the point.
Murray would deliver winners, guaranteed winners in the eyes of many observers, only to see them reappear, not just as returns, but as winning points for
Djokovic instead.
Murray would play a killer drop shot, only for Djokovic to cover the ground like the kid from The Incredibles, with enough time and wit to send it back over the net and out of reach.
There were moments when Murray seemed almost nonplussed, the merest shake of the head, or muttered curse revealing his powerlessness. What more could he do? This was the game that humbled Wawrinka. It couldn't lay a glove on Djokovic once his confidence grew.
And it did, after that first set. For a brief moment, Djokovic looked vulnerable. His forehand was off, his movement was ordinary, it took him a shocking 25 minutes before he held serve.
The hope was that the pressure of the 'Novak Slam', as much as a first French Open, had got to him. No such luck. His equilibrium restored by that first game in the second set, Djokovic barely looked back. He took Murray to break point in the second game, and Murray promptly double-faulted.
His serve then collapsed and what followed was, at times, exhibition tennis from the Serb. His athleticism catches the eye, but this is far from a talent that is merely built in the gym or on the track circuit.
His shots are stunning, his deft technique increasingly the best in the game. Whether smiting to the baseline, or playing drops with the softest hands, he had Murray running between extremities on court, until he screamed to the heavens that his legs had gone.
Some find Djokovic robotic. He isn't. He's relentless. There's a difference.
He is also No 1. And in this era, that is not just a ranking. It is a statement. There used to be a big four. Now there is a big one. In time, the others have fallen, leaving only Djokovic.
Age is catching up with Federer, injury with Nadal; yet even if it were not, could they block Djokovic's march right now? Murray couldn't.
"This is something we won't see for a very long time,' said Murray, contemplating the Slam. 'It is so rare, and his performances have needed to be so exceptional."
It is what follows that must worry Djokovic's rivals. With the French Open at last won, who knows what this day might inspire?
He may be looser from here, more relaxed, more confident. He could win at Wimbledon and at the US Open, as he did last year, he could target a gold medal in Rio.
This was his 12th Grand Slam title, overtaking Laver and Bjorn Borg, tying with Roy Emerson. He could be level with Nadal and Pete Sampras by the end of the season; he could be closing in on Federer's 17. This is his time.
Yet, contemplating it, Djokovic seemed reticent, resisting any temptation to boast or project.
"It is incredible to know Rod Laver was the last to do this,' he said. 'I'm proud, I'm thrilled, I'm overwhelmed. But Federer and Nadal came within a few sets of it a few times in their careers - and it was trying to compete with them that made me this player. I knew I would have to get stronger to keep up and I'm just glad I can compete with them now."
There were no rhyming couplets, little in the way of wit, and few of Djokovic's words will be remembered in 50 years' time.
But his tennis will. His tennis will set him apart. Right now, whether he wants the title or not, he is, quite simply, The Greatest. — Daily Mail
