Novak Djokovic opens up with Piers Morgan, retirement is not on the cards
Trust Piers Morgan to bring out the best from celebrities, sports included, when he takes them on in long-winding interviews. Known to have engaged in a supportive way with CR7 – Cristiano Ronado – in the past, folks said Morgan was biased. That is a bit like stating the obvious, since an interviewer as famous as him will have an agenda.
Yet, what was certainly surprising in the Piers Morgan interview with Novak Djokovic recently is ensuring the Serbian star will open up. Morgan did well to apologise to Novak, having come down hard on him during the Covid pandemic. Novak was haunted and hunted by many for his refusal to take the Covid jab even as the virus was killing folks. Novak refused the jab, paid a price, wherein fans, media and two nations – Australia and the USA -- had banned him for a few years.
All that is past, and Novak is now welcome, though hostility towards him is weird. It was in goodness, Piers Morgan apologised to Novak for whatever he had said on the vaccine and more. The challenge for an interviewer is to open up the superstar, grill him and bring the best out of him, as replies/answers. Novak is a simpleton, believes in calling a spade a spade, and yet, does not get offensive. This writer has been fortunate to attend his press conferences at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics last year in Paris, and before.
Novak did well not to get dragged into the ‘greatest debate’ in tennis, something highly subjective. “I’m not going to say whether I’m the greatest or not because it’s not my position to say that. “And I would say that would be disrespectful to those who have paved the way for Nadal, Federer and all the others,” said Novak in the interview.
Novak rightly pointed out it is so hard to make comparisons. “It’ so hard to compare eras, our sport has gone through quite a transformation in the last 50 years,” replied Novak. He has seen the changes himself, from being at the peak, till now, where he still wins his 101st career tour title. Harsh truth, Novak finds it hard to defeat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner today.
Where Novak showed he respects tradition is when he named John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg as legends who inspired him. He has seen generations of champions come and go, including Federer, Nadal and to a small extent Pete Sampras. Of course, the man who halted Sampras and his unbeaten run at Wimbledon was RF – Roger Federer.
If honesty is needed in interviews, Novak lent it when he spoke on how hard it is to take on Alcaraz and Sinner. “I believe that to some extent I am the Superman who can never injure myself, that can never be weak. But I got a slap from reality in the last couple of years. I am just getting to know the new chapter,” he revealed to Piers Morgan.’’
What came as icing on the cake, Novak telling the interviewer, he ain’t stopping. The plan is to go on and on, possibly continue till the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Novak will be in his 40s then. But then, for someone who has been an Alpha Male, the fear of losing is not big. For those who watched Novak win an Olympic gold last year at Roland Garros, playing for the country makes him emotional. Bottom line, the last chapter in Novak’s tennis career is still far away.
