‘A Hero Dressed as a Villain’ – Years After Sharing the Court With Novak Djokovic, 33-Year-Old Tennis Star Makes a Heartfelt Confession About the Serbian Legend

Novak Djokovic is one of the few players to stay at the peak of his prowess, even in the twilight stages of his career. He often makes headlines, either for his striking performance or his unconventional opinions. Anyone who follows the Djoker knows that his political and personal beliefs are often divided. Controversies often find their way to the third-seed athlete, and thus his statements have always been highly scrutinized by the media. Even when he was criticized, he had the backing of one of his former rivals on the tour.

Djokovic always had the backing of John Millman. The Australian player faced Djoker thrice on the court. Although Milliman lost all three games, he has only good beans to spill about the Djoker. The 33-year-old penned his views about the Serbian player, who is labeled as the villain more often than not.

Novak Djokovic isn’t the villain that people make him out to be!

In his article on news.com.au, Millman mentioned the good deeds of Djokovic that the world has no knowledge of. The one ATP singles title winner explained how Djokovic funded a challenger and two ATP events by awarding full prize money to the players during the global pandemic. He also donated around a million euros for medical equipment during this health crisis. This is not the first time Djokovic extended help in emergencies.

Millman described a handful of occasions for the readers to know. The Serbian star was among the first players to donate to the cause of the Australian bushfire. He was a UNICEF national ambassador and also led the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to represent the players. According to the Australian star, the Djoker is the villain tennis needs, as there should be one in all fields. Since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were already lauded as heroes, the role of the villain went to Djokovic.

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Millman wrote, “Over the years I’ve danced with the devil, (and he whooped me on several occasions!), but the more I danced the more I realised that our game’s most divisive player was perhaps not a villain, but a hero in disguise.” He also added, “I felt at times his achievements are somewhat downplayed. Such are the perils of being the villain!”

The Serb is just another athlete using his rights

Djokovic was denied entering the US Open and the Australian Open in 2022 for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Millman backed him even then and received backlash from the rest of the tennis world. The one-time ATP tour title winner opined, “His refusal to take the vaccine infuriated many but it came as no surprise when you see how his meticulousness with what goes into his body is unrivalled,” focusing on the positive side.

Milliman concluded his article with, “For some he will always be someone we hope not to succeed. I believe in time though more people will come to realise what his colleagues already know, Novak is a hero dressed as a villain. And that was exactly what our sport needed.” The Australian player hoped to turn the tables with his view on the Serb. One wrong thing and any public figure will be forgotten for all the good deeds they did. Djokovic’s situation is something similar.

The 36-year-old dedicated his life to the game, and people talk more about his opinions than his achievements. Do you think the 22-time Grand Slam champion is unfairly criticized?

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