People said he was trying too hard to please others, but actually that was Novak – that’s what I saw when he was a teenager, he’s just like that, open, that’s how he was even before he became a ‘Novak Djokovic’ celebrity “, Paul McNamee, a man who has been in tennis for more than forty years, tells us with expressive gestures.
Ozmo in the Big Apple
In the garden at the US Open, a familiar face is passing by, for us journalists this means an ideal opportunity for an interview.
“I just need to schedule a training session and I’ll be back in five minutes,” the old fox, 69-year-old McNamee, now coach of Su-Wei Hsieh, tells us.
And really, there he is with a big smile on his face.
Saša, I know you from Twitter, you do a good job,” he tells me, instantly boosting his confidence before the interview.
“I could also play some singles,” he joked later when I mentioned that he was world number one in doubles. He was also ranked 24th in singles, served as director of the Australian Open for a long time and was instrumental in establishing the Hopman Cup.
A rich biography, to put it mildly, but he became recognizable to the general public in Serbia because he often stood up for Novak Djokovic, especially during the saga in Australia in 2022. McNamee, whose wife is Bulgarian, explains what attracted him to Djokovic.
“Authenticity. If we’re talking about the whole vaccine thing, some took false certificates, while he chose to do what he felt was the right thing for him, and faced the consequences. It cost him a lot – he did not play the Australian Open and the US Open, two major tournaments where he was the favorite. He took that hit, came back to Australia and won the title – it was amazing. In Australia, there was a special attitude towards that problem (the corona virus), Novak’s position was not very popular, what happened happened, he was deported, but then he came back and won. However, I have known and respected him for a very long time,” McNamee begins for Sport Club.
The Australian first watched Djokovic in the qualifiers in Valencia almost twenty years ago.
“The first time I saw him play was in the qualifying in Valencia, so you can see how much time has passed. Then his coach was Dejan Petrović, he is from Australia, and I was looking for a team for the Hopman Cup and I went to watch Novak. Vittorio Selmi from the ATP told me that there are two young Serbian players who are very good – Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic. I had watched Ana before, and then I went to watch Novak”.
Even then, Djokovic showed himself exceptionally well.
“Of course, I could not have known that he would become the greatest of all time,” McNamee laughs and recalls an anecdote:
“One more thing is interesting – his first match at the Australian Open was in 2005 with Marat Safin, and I was the director of AO at the time, and I escorted him out on the court. If you watch that video, you will see me accompanying Novak and Marat to that match, so I was there for Novak’s first Grand Slam match. I wasn’t the Tournament Director when he won Melbourne in 2008, but I knew Novak very well from the Hopman Cup”.
McNamee says that both Ana and Novak were wonderful, but that Djokovic especially won him over with his close relationship with people.
“He took the microphone and sang at the New Year’s party, he was friendly to everyone, so open and refreshing. That character of his later was pushed into the background… When he imitated Sharapova and the others, people said that he was trying too hard to please others, but actually, that was Novak – that’s what I saw when he was a teenager, simply that’s how he was, open, that’s how he was before ‘Novak Djokovic’ became a celebrity. After that, people tried to mold him into a certain pattern of behavior, and that is difficult to do with a person from the Balkans. I’m married to one, so I’d know, haha. During all these years, it was a challenge for him”.
For the first time since 2017, Novak ends the season without a Grand Slam title, but won Olympic gold. McNamee believes that there is a special reason why Djokovic is still motivated.
“If he didn’t retire after the Olympics, that means he will play for a while longer.” It was a moment he could have chosen, but he didn’t. I think one of the things that keeps him going is that he enjoys playing in front of his kids, for them to see him on the court. Family is very important in the Balkans, Stefan and Tara come to see him and he loves it. He will surely play next year”.
When asked whether Novak will be a candidate for another Grand Slam title, McNamee answers furiously:
“Oh, of course! There is a new Big Three – Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz. I would say that Novak is still the favorite in Australia to win his 11th title. I think Sinner or Zverev will celebrate here in New York, but I think Novak is number 1 in Melbourne. Here, Popyrin played brilliantly, but it is clear how much winning the gold drained Novak. Apart from Australia, I think he is also the favorite at Wimbledon. If he doesn’t win a slam next year, that question (of retirement) will be asked. On the other hand, it is also a deeply personal question. Andy (Murray) probably played too long, but he wanted to play. It is a personal decision when one retires. Personally, I think he will play the whole of next year, and see how it goes”.
Djokovic holds all the relevant records in the world of tennis – 24 Grand Slam titles, 40 Masters, 428 weeks in first place… How will he be talked about in twenty years?
“It will take twenty years for someone like Alcaraz to break Novak’s (Grand Slam) record – it’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely. So, in twenty years, Novak will be talked about as the greatest of all time. Forget all personal affinities, his biography is the greatest. An argument could be made that not having the Olympics gold on his record was not that important, but I don’t think so, I think they were very important, especially for people who claimed that Novak was not the GOAT. It was definitely decided in Paris who is the GOAT”, believes McNamee and explains:
“Personally, I never called him the greatest until the OIympics. I said that everyone should finish their careers first, but the gold at the OIympics cemented Novak’s status now. Enormous success, not only because of the gold, but also the way he got it – he played a fantastic match against an outstanding tennis player like Alcaraz. I’ve been a big fan of Carlos’ game from the start, but Novak’s forehands in the tie breaks…
Uh, what shots were those, man… In the most important match for him in the last five years, he gave it his all and came out victorious. He did it for Serbia… I’m Australian, I know he wasn’t the most popular in Australia, but in the Balkans everyone in the region loves him – I know that, I live in Bulgaria for half a year every year, they adore him there. In Australia some like him, some don’t, but he is a special person and a family man, his wife Jelena is wonderful. I think that, apart from the results, his legacy will also be that he is an authentic person with integrity, what more can a person ask for?” concludes McNamee for Sport Club.
There was no more time, but we agreed to sit down next time and go through some of the stories from the old days.
“Uh, how many,” Paul tells us in parting
