Coco & Djoko : The Toast of New York

Cori Dionne ‘ Coco ‘ Gauff had brushed aside Aryna Sabalenka, the World no.1,  to win her first US Open Title on Saturday night. The Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted in raptures as the young  American held sway over her mighty opponent and emerged victorious. Coco Gauff had lost the first set and it was her sheer determination and fighting spirit to come back and quell Sabalenka’s progress in the match

. The Coco Spirit

Patrick Mouratoglou, the longtime coach of Serena Williams had worked on Coco Gauff at his academy in Paris during the athlete’s developing years and was most impressed by Coco’s athleticism, determination and fighting spirit. He had already seen a Champion in her and had arranged for sponsors to help  Coco get the best training available in the sport. Her parents had given up their respective sporting careers to concentrate on their child but still did not have adequate financial support to get the best for Coco. 

“ When she looks at you and tells you she will be number one, you can only believe it “ are the words of Mouratoglou and it is not a surprise that Coco Gauff has taken the right steps in that direction. So buoyant were the Americans with her win that even Joe Biden, the US President called and congratulated the Champion.  Coco Gauff is indeed one of the great stories unfolding in Tennis at the moment. However, there is one more story which has been unfolding over the years unabated, leaving people mesmerised by its implausible and imperishable script. The story of Novak Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic is 37 years old and has spent almost 2 decades on the tennis court as a professional. He has 24 Grand Slam titles to his name,  more than any player in the Men’s category. The latest being the US Open Title on Sunday, where he dismissed the challenge from former Champion Daniil Medvedev with consummate ease ( barring some fight in the second set ). I have written several times about Novak Djokovic in the past couple of years, and I run the risk of being cliched in my writing, but despite this ominous risk, Djokovic is such an inspiration, that I am left with no option but to add another page on the  Champion of all times. 

At an age where generally players call it quits, Novak Djokovic is severely dominating tennis. He is improving with age. It is not just his game, but his physical fitness, which is exceptional too. Players 10-15 years younger than him, find it difficult to keep pace with the Serbian. This speaks volumes about Djokovic’s unprecedented determination, his commitment to the game and his out-of-the-ordinary work ethic. For him, Tennis is not just a sport or a vocation to earn a livelihood anymore, it is more of devotion to his work and a professional responsibility to carry the sport forward and set the bar higher. 

There is no doubt that Novak Djokovic, who witnessed the pain and difficulties of war in his childhood, will go down as one of the finest athletes to have ever lived on this planet. His life is so inspiring with some great learning associated with it. Two days ago in Belgrade, Djokovic was celebrated by his countrymen. The honour he received was too much to bear as Djokovic broke down with inconsolable tears,  bowing in front of his hundreds of cheering fans. He might have just realised the quantum of his achievement and what an enormous hero and role model he had become for his country and the world.