Novak Djokovic: I’m Not 100% Healthy And I Don’t Want To Talk About It Here

This statement from djokovic is very “Nadal like”. he said clearly he’s not fit, yet wants to maintain the pretense of giving credit to his opponent. Classic double speak. Either say what was going on, or just shut up. No reason to say a little, take the shine out of the opponent’s win, and then create the pretense of being “nice”. Rubbish.

July 2nd, 2016 at 4:18 pm

At least Nadal is open about what’s wrong with him and it’s there for all to see but the Djokovic secrecy is a bit suspect.

July 2nd, 2016 at 4:31 pm

maybe he needs a diagnosis?

July 2nd, 2016 at 4:39 pm

Hope it is nothing serious. And his shift to nearly all-vegan didn’t weaken him or slow his injury recuperation time – from setting up metabolic/nutrient imbalances.
I recommend a big cheeseburger in any case. Road to recovery.

July 2nd, 2016 at 5:04 pm

Congrats to Querrey. He stayed in the set even when he was down a break and a minibreak.

Djokovic was asked a question – he gave an honest answer. He isn’t obligated to provide more information if he doesn’t want to. The more perfectly sportsmanlike thing to do would be to decline to answer, though it would amount to the same thing.

It does highlight how hard it is to maintain excellence.

July 2nd, 2016 at 5:45 pm

Hey James,
If he truly said what was bothering him, you would be the first to call him on that. Something like: he is making excuses for his loss, takes away from Sam, totally classless. He simply answered the question he was asked. And was being honest.

The Serbian TV commentator said that Novak was very bad at the practice, played with a young American player (didn’t say which one), couldn’t return at all, had his returns at the bottom of the net…

July 2nd, 2016 at 5:52 pm

“Down Goes Novak Djokovic!” “Down Goes Novak Djokovic!”

Congrats to USA Querry. Well fought, a lot of obstacles that he faced, and but remained calm and was on point challenging the #1 player in the world. Playing against big servers is always dangerous at Wimbledon, and I for one welcome the different surface. You want to be great you need to win and adjust on all surfaces.
Very tough loss for Novak, though he would(should have) went much further although Milos was a potential future opponent here.
Can’t win them all, Rafa, Fed snd Murray know that well.
Good thing for him is he will be back to his fav surface, the HC and USO. He will shine again….

July 2nd, 2016 at 8:52 pm

Don’t get all over Novak about him stating not 100%………he wasn’t saying anything that was a surprise to me……he clearly has an issue with something. He was out of sorts but you know, if you aren’t feeling up to par for an important GS match I am sure it was eating him up. He knew how he felt and probably felt his game was lacking and knew it wasn’t gonna get better. Big acebot servers can get under one’s skin and very frustrating. Novak had the monkey on his back regarding Laver’s record…….yes the pressure was on him for sure and if he has a shoulder issue to boot, not a good mix. He will be fine and a big congrats to Sam, he played a magnificent match. Commies to all Novak fans. It is not a question if those long runs will come to end…it’s a matter of when. He will be OK but I feel he has a niggle somewhere, and it too will all come out in the wash. Could we have a brand new champion or an old one?? We will see!

July 2nd, 2016 at 9:12 pm

skeezer – I welcome the different surface as well. But it would be nice not to see 22 shot rallies on grass.

okie – I find it amazing he withstood the pressure of both career and consecutive slam at one event. A letdown at some point was inevitable.

July 2nd, 2016 at 9:25 pm

@BBB I concur……that always happens sooner or later….Novak’s was later….he’s had a great run!!

July 2nd, 2016 at 9:48 pm

At least Nadal is open about what’s wrong with him and it’s there for all to see but the Djokovic secrecy is a bit suspect.
—
I am always available to expand on my many injuries. Spain has considered giving me a medical degree due to my immense knowledge of sports injuries, hot plate injuries, bed room injuries, etc. It is called experiential learning, no?

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:42 pm

“He will shine again….” indeed skeezer, he will!

July 3rd, 2016 at 12:46 am

Hope is nothing serious, he has a few weeks before Canada if he decides to play there. Olympics should be his next goal. Now time to recover well and regroup.

July 3rd, 2016 at 1:50 am

Novak was under pressure because of the FO since 2012. I also think the pressure for Calender Year slam was to much for him, plus a possible shoulder injury. He needs a rest in order to play in Rio, Cincy, and so on. I am sure he will be back strong and I am looking forward for that.
I am still very grateful, that he finally won the FO this year :)

July 3rd, 2016 at 2:22 am

VP – Just because Serena said she choked out at the USO on unbelievable pressure does not mean Djokovic is cut from the same cloth.
The French Open, to get a Grand Slam and a Career Slam after 2 narrow misses at the title has to be more than the imagined obligation to get 6 in a row. If you look at Laver’s, his Grand Slam was a very close call of pure happenstance based on what happened outside tennis. Organizers based scheduling on the school holidays, which rested on a teachers union vote in the fall. How the union consented whichever holiday schedule determined if the AO fell in December or January. Would it have been any less prestigious if Laver had won a month earlier in 1968?
I think a lot of this one Grand Slam bounded within a calendar year being designated as more difficult, glorious and prestigious stems from US writers that hated Navratilova as a lesbian from Commielands. She got 6 in a row 1983-84, but the AO was played in December. So the writers said she had FAILED to do a “real” Grand Slam of 4 in a row. The ITF however, soon acted and said 4 in a row is a Grand Slam. Only 2 men have done that in the 47 years of the Open Era. Only 4 women, with Serena doing it twoce.

With Djokovic, he wanted Wimbledon, but put winning the Olympics above even that, because you have 16 tries to win some Slams every 4 years, but only one chance to do the Olympics. He said that makes the Olympics more special.
And he has other big goals in 2016 – USO, staying #1, getting the Masters Sweep if he wins Cincinnati. Plus a goal of year end #1 and another ATP Championship. And Serbia has a shot at going for the Davis Cup if Andy skips the summer DC quarters.

July 3rd, 2016 at 3:06 am

CF1,

Yes, what Novak achieved is amazing. Wikipedia mentions him as the only 3 male tennis player, who managed to win the 4 GS jn a row and the only one, who holds all the 4 GS on 3 different surfaces in a row. Who knows, when it will be done again. :)

July 3rd, 2016 at 4:08 am

https://twitter.com/bgtennisnation/status/749498614007947264
That’s right, only achieved by Rafa!

July 3rd, 2016 at 5:07 am

So sad to see my 2nd favorite, after Murray, get no respect from the public at large. They were rejoicing when he lost, in fact it seems that almost 95% of those who watch, play or follow tennis, including Fed & Nadal lovers, are jealous of his achievements. And, people tend to blame Djokovic for the obnoxious behavior of his parents. Yes Djokovic too gets carried away most of the times and behave crassly by tearing his shirts, etc.; but why does everyone have to be Mr. goody two shoes like Miss Roger? Why can’t people have their own personalities, however crude or crass it may be? We need Djokovics, Hewitts and Kyrgiosis to bring some personality and character on the courts. Why can’t we just like Djokovic for his records and wins? Most Fedtards and tennis lovers put down Djokovic’s workman like, retrieving style as compared to Miss Roger’s smooth flowing, awe-inspiring and poetic tennis and that seems so lame. Shouldn’t it be whatever it takes to win? Isn’t a tennis match Mano-a-mano and not some high-school, stand on the stage and look-pretty, poetry contest?

Djokovic is a celebration of the fact that hard-work will sooner or later trump super-talent, even if it has to wait for that talent to have one leg in the grave! Just kiddin’ folks Jokes aside, Djokovic should inspire an averagely talented tennis player to keep his/her professional tennis dream alive. 99.99999% tennis players do not have Miss Roger’s talent and their hero therefore should be Djokovic not Federer.

Well it’s time to enjoy whatever little passionate tennis is left at Wimbledon and get myself a compatible date at ZoMatch for next Sunday, because with Nole gone I am free and available for the next weekend.

July 3rd, 2016 at 5:28 am

I can feel Skeeze gloating..not sure why. At least, the cats will get fed well for a few days.

July 3rd, 2016 at 6:40 am

Novak definitely was not himself during he match. You could tell by his movement. But let’s be honest here and show some understanding.

The amount of pressure he was facing was enormous. Listened to Serena’s coach last night on BBC, he said that Novak was so under pressure, no one would or could ever understand how that pressure was going to affect him.

So I don’t see why any true tennis fan could ever gloat over Novak’s loss. He has had an incredible run, and like Federer and Rafa, has not been one to talk about his injuries or whatever is going on that could have affected his game.

Personally, am wondering whether the pressure came more from Boris Becker, I don’t know, so would love to hear whether any of you have read anything that could shed light on his overall performance.

When reading about this, I can only gather that the immense tiredness caught up with him and the mental pressure of training, day in, day out, with the calendar grand slam looming, was too much at that point.

Rest is the only antidote I think. Pure rest.

Humble Rafa, I must be the only person on this site who doesn’t get your jokes. Then I realise. They aren’t. So, stick to the day job, hey?

July 4th, 2016 at 7:37 am

senorita Says:
At least Nadal is open about what’s wrong with him and it’s there for all to see but the Djokovic secrecy is a bit suspect.

July 2nd, 2016 at 4:31 pm

No Senorita, just imagine the intensity of the pressure for so long, since last year’s French Open. He carries that pressure with him. Then has to control his emotions on court, when he probably wants to scream.

Was bound to happen at some point.

July 4th, 2016 at 7:38 am

Just because I said so, Rainic was able to push to a fifth, Hoffin serving first but now thibk the advantage is Raonic with his serve.

July 4th, 2016 at 12:33 pm

Roanic comes back and wins. Pretty impressive stuff. He looks like he’s out to prove a point this year.

July 5th, 2016 at 12:40 am

I would blame the interviewer more than Novak for bringing up the issue of fitness. The wording of the question itself is subject to imponderables and Novak just couldn’t evade an answer and had to come up with the truth that he was not feeling 100% right. But that would in no way belittle the success of Querrey who deserves enormous credit for dethroning not only the defending Champion, but also a man who was gazing at achieving the salivating prospect of winning the Calendar slam and thus be on the same page as a legend like Laver.

July 5th, 2016 at 9:00 am

This is the end of one of the greatest Slam runs of all time, but perhaps only a blip in one of, or THE greatest overall-runs of all time. That we’ll have to find out over the summer.

Novak has set himself on tennis Rushmore with the grand slam. Not achieved in 50 years of mens tennis before this. Its a phenomenal accomplishment, and for him to do it after marriage and a baby is near unbelievable. Novak and his fans still have almost a week left to enjoy holding all four trophies.

As far as “not 100%”… one thing to point out: if Novak had won this match, we never would have heard these words. This is not just true of Novak, it is true of every player. I think that most players play most matches at “not 100%”; we don’t realize it because a winner never mentions it – so 50% of instances are opaque to us, and then, IF not 100% in a loss, only a certain subset get ASKED that, or mention it, so when we hear it, it sounds out of the ordinary but it really isn’t. Without further information, “not 100%” is equivalent to “I was a professional athlete in the middle of a long run of match play”.

July 5th, 2016 at 9:17 am