There is no doubt that Novak Djokovic will be immortalized in the history of the sport, but the Serbian hopes to finally become the “people’s champion” by winning his seventh Wimbledon title on Sunday, the third Grand Slam in tennis.

The Serb has always been looking for the missing ingredient that would make him equal to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the hearts of tennis fans.

His win in a four-set match that saw Djokovic win in a row against Australian Nick Kyrgios pushed him to a Federer cross and stayed a title distance from Nadal’s record for Grand Slam titles (22).

With Federer and Nadal enjoying near-divine status in the game, the Serb was a player that was even harder for fans to like.

Many had already chosen the Swiss or Spaniard as their “man” by the time Djokovic won his first Grand Slam in 2008, making him an awkward offender.

The Serb, who left Belgrade at the age of 12 to train in Munich and escape the NATO bombing of his city, is a more prickly character than the sleek and laid-back Federer and humble Nadal.

– fiery character –

Djokovic gave a glimpse of his fiery personality when he displayed a bad image during the 2020 US Open when he hit the ball with such force that it hit the line.

Some of his personal beliefs have drawn criticism, including his rejection of the coronavirus vaccine, a decision that cost him elimination from the Australian Open this year.

One of his amazing claims was his belief that it was possible to change the composition of water and food through positive thinking.

Djokovic, accustomed to fighting with supporters, seems to have overcome this in last year’s Flushing Meadows final, which lost to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

He received heartfelt support from fans who urged him to fight Medvedev, but in the end it was in vain as he lost his chance to become the first man to win a Grand Slam tournament (Grand Slam titles that same year) since Australian Rod Laver in 1969.

He then said that “the amount of support, energy and love that I received from the public was something that I will remember forever”, noting what it meant to him.

It seems that time is on the Serb’s side in his quest to be considered the greatest player of all time and win over more fans.

Federer, who will soon be 41, was out for a year after undergoing knee surgery, while Nadal, 36, withdrew from the Wimbledon semi-finals with a stomach injury.

– The end is far away –

Djokovic, who is a year younger than Nadal, shows no signs of losing his physical prowess, on the contrary, he is improving with age.

There are doubts about his participation in Flushing Meadows next August, as under current US law he will not be allowed to travel to play because he did not receive a Covid-19 vaccine.

It’s also unclear if he will be able to travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open in January after he was deported earlier this year due to vaccinations.

Djokovic, who has spent a record number of weeks at the top of the world rankings, has already confirmed his place in tennis history.

To add shine to his record, he set records by defeating Federer and Nadal, 27-23 over the Swiss and 30-29 over the Spaniard.

He won his first major championship in Australia in 2008 but it was three years before he added his second title.

The Serbian eliminated gluten from his fitness-enhancing diet and turned him into a hard-hitting rubber tennis player.

In 2011, he had an incredible year, winning three majors in Australia, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, as well as reaching the semi-finals of Roland Garros in the dirt, becoming number one in the world for the first time.

Since then, he has won at least one Grand Slam every year except 2017.

Djokovic married his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic in July 2014 and they have two children, Stefan and Tara.

Father and son were photographed together playing at Wimbledon this year. But while the seven-year-old could be a future star, Djokovic Sr is far from over.