AFTERTHOUGHT TO AN EPIC

Serbia's Novak Djokovic was the talk of tennis at the 2007 U.S. Open. A year later, he's just trying to stay in the conversation.

by Lindsay Berra

Novak Djokovic is slumped in a chair in the press room, slightly irritated, a little fatigued. He's just beaten Canada's Frank Dancevic in the second round of July's Rogers Cup in Toronto, and he wants to talk about how well he was returning. But the reporters have a different agenda. The tournament is Djokovic's first since he lost to Marat Safin in the second round at Wimbledon, and the media are peppering him with questions about the Final for the Ages, in which Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer's streak of five Wimbledon titles.

Djokovic doesn't want to talk about Roger and Rafa; he claims, unconvincingly, that he didn't even watch the match. But his demeanor suggests he's spent the past few weeks dreading the inevitable questions about their dominance. Federer and Nadal have hogged the top two spots in the rankings for four years. Djokovic, a distant No. 3, won the Australian in January and seemed poised to make a run at the top. Tennis fans were ready for the change too. Federer, for all his sublime gifts and supreme accomplishments, is boring. Djokovic, colorful on the court and off, is anything but. But during the 2008 season, Djokovic strayed from his plotted course. So when a reporter says into a microphone, "It's almost as though people stopped thinking about you," Djokovic chuckles, rolls his eyes and says mockingly, "Really?" Still, he knows it's the truth. And if anyone in the room had the guts to ask, the next question would be this: "Isn't it amazing, Novak, what a difference a year makes?"

MONTREAL, AUG. 12, 2007: NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS ON A ROLL
Djokovic first served notice of his intention to make a run at the top of the rankings last summer at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Ranked No. 4 at the time, he dispatched No. 3 Andy Roddick in the quarters and took down No. 2 Nadal in the semis. In the final, Djokovic attacked Federer's backhand and upset the world's No. 1 player for the first time in his career. "I'd like to say to Roger that he can't win everything," Djokovic told the crowd postmatch. "Sometimes, somebody else has to win." It was an astonishing achievement; no player had downed Nos. 1, 2 and 3 at the same tournament since Boris Becker beat Michael Stich, No. 1 Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic at Stockholm in 1994. The win suggested that Djokovic finally had the mental grit to match his shotmaking skills. Federer, who bristles at Djokovic's brashness, called the result "insignificant." But Roddick praised the lanky Serb: "Djokovic's able to change directions with the ball as well as anybody I've seen. Confidence plays a big part in that, and he's confident."

NEW YORK, SEPT. 9, 2007: NOVAK DJOKOVIC FEELS THE LOVE
The Djoker has invaded Gotham, and the crowd at Flushing Meadows has fallen in love. Sure, U.S. Open fans also adore Federer, charming and polite in three languages, and Nadal, sweet and magnetic in capri pants and sleeveless tee. But Djokovic is electric. On court, he's a mix of speed, crushing ground strokes and emotion, reminiscent of Connors and McEnroe. He's also funny, in a sport that desperately needs to loosen up. Open fans have seen him on YouTube, belting out "Proud Mary" and walking a fashion show catwalk in his skivvies. And between matches in New York, he performs spot-on impressions of Nadal (bouncing on the baseline and picking his butt) and Maria Sharapova (wiggling his derriere while tucking an imaginary wisp of blond hair behind his ear). But Djokovic won't mimic Federer. "He's the untouchable one," Djokovic says. "He's too perfect." Djokovic is just being polite. Today, in his first Slam final, he pushes Federer to tiebreaks in the first two sets but squanders seven set points and loses in a torrent of Serbian curses and tossed water bottles. "My book is going to be called Seven Set Points," The Djoker joked later. "I was mentally weaker today, and he was mentally stronger."


BELGRADE, DEC. 7, 2007: NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS A NATIONAL HERO
Djokovic lost three straight matches at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai a week ago, but that matters little to the more than 20,000 fans who are stuffed into Belgrade Arena to see Serbia's biggest sports stars—Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Janko Tipsarevic—play an exhibition to benefit, among other charities, a children's hospital Djokovic funds in Kosovo. The event is a spectacle, complete with under-16 doubles, Serbian folk dancers and pop bands. Djokovic, the unofficial emcee, is clearly the main draw. Serbians love him because he's fiercely proud of his resilient country; he plays for Serbia more than Federer or Nadal could ever play for Switzerland or Spain.

Three wars rocked Serbia in the 1990s, and even today, much of the world sees the country as an unstable haven for war criminals. The government in Belgrade wants to change that perception, and Djokovic's is the face the new Serbia wants to present to the world. "Djokovic has all the elements of a leader," says Serbian deputy prime minister Bozidar Djelic, who predicts a future in politics for Djokovic. "He has charisma, strength, skill, exceptional intelligence. He epitomizes everything we'd like our nation to be." As is customary when there's reason to celebrate—tonight, it's motherland and tennis—Djokovic winds up shirtless, singing with the band, countrymen rising to accompany him. At this moment it matters little whether he's No. 1 or No. 3. Here in his home country, Djokovic is bigger than tennis.

Djokovic plays with emotion that's reminiscent of Connors and McEnroe. He's funny—in a sport desperately needs to loosen up.

MELBOURNE, JAN. 27, 2008: NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS ON TOP DOWN UNDER
At the start of 2008, Djokovic laid out three goals: be consistent, reach the Masters Cup, win a Grand Slam. "I have good chances for that," he said. "But I'm not in a rush." Turns out, he is. In the final of the Australian Open, the season's first Slam, he defeats Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets. In the stands, his family—parents Srdjan and Dijana, brothers Marko (16) and Djordje (13)—sit side by side wearing white sweatshirts with black letters that spell out "Nole," Novak's nickname. For the first time in nearly three years, Federer is absent from a Grand Slam final; Djokovic ousted him in the semis. But the Slam triumph sets the bar high. "Things will look a bit different for this year," Djokovic says. "Coming as a Grand Slam champion to the tournaments, players look at me with much more respect. I'm happy for that, but still there are a lot of expectations, and I still have a long way to go." He's right about that.

MIAMI, MARCH 28, 2008: NOVAK DJOKOVIC FEELS THE HEAT
Under a blazing sun at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, South Africa's Kevin Anderson, all 6'8" of him, buries his head in his hands, overwhelmed by victory. Across the net, Djokovic just feels buried, confounded by Anderson's 135 mph serves and aggressive baseline game. Djokovic had hoped to use the U.S. hardcourt season to gain ground on Federer and Nadal, and just a week earlier, he'd beaten Nadal in the semis and Mardy Fish in the final at Indian Wells. But with a first-round loss to the world's 122nd-ranked player in Miami, his plan begins to unravel. It's the kind of challenge even the best understand. "As a youngster, you always have your ups and downs," says Federer. "The ups will be very high, because there are no limits when you're young." And as Djokovic is learning, the lows can be very low.

PARIS, JUNE 6, 2008: NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS STILL IN THE PICTURE
A karaoke booth is made available for players at the 2007 French Open, and a shirtless Djokovic performs a rousing rendition of "I Will Survive"—which is posted, of course, on YouTube. Fast-forward a year, and the song becomes the perfect anthem for … Nadal, whose unbeaten streak at Roland Garros already includes three French titles. Today, Djokovic and Nadal play in the semis, but there's more at stake than a ticket to the final. For the second tournament in a row, they compete for the No. 2 ranking. And for the second tournament in a row, Nadal prevails. "My game is based on being aggressive," says Djokovic. "I go for the shots, and either I make a winner or I make a mistake. I have no reason to be depressed. I just look forward to the future." His immediate future, at least as far as ranking is concerned, hinges on not blowing opportunities at the U.S. Open; a win there means enough points to again challenge for No. 2.


CINCINNATI, AUG. 2, 2008: NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS IN TURNAROUND
Djokovic is one week younger than No. 9 Andy Murray of Scotland, and as juniors, the two became rivals and friends. Djokovic beat Murray the first four times they played on the pro circuit, but the tables turned at the 2008 Rogers Cup in Toronto, where Murray knocked his pal out in the quarters. Later, Djokovic reflected on his season: "I've had my ups and downs this year. Maybe more than I'm supposed to have, but it's not easy. You just have to try to be consistent if you want to stay at the top." Heading into the Cincinnati Masters a week later, it's Nadal who's been the 2008 model of consistency, with a 61—7 match record vs. Djokovic's 4010. But in Cincinnati, Djokovic toppled Rafa in the semis to snap his 32-match winning streak, then lost to Murray again in the final. On Aug. 18, Nadal will take over the No. 1 position that Federer has held since February 2004. But Djokovic's recent play has bolstered his confidence. He's just defeated the soon-to-be No. 1 and has improved his game with each tournament since Wimbledon. U.S. Davis Cup coach Patrick McEnroe believes Djokovic is ready for a breakout in New York: "He has a great hardcourt game with his ability to take the ball early and aggressively off both wings." Still, one part of his game will be different this year. Coming into the last major of the season, he's anxious to make sure he's known for more than his comedic stylings. Translation: Djokovic plans to be theatrics-free at Flushing Meadows. The only YouTube moments he hopes to supply are match highlights. "Maria Sharapova said my jokes are becoming boring," Djokovic says. "I have new material, but I don't want to get bad reactions.

"I want people to remember me as a good tennis player."

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For a Clip Reel of Djokovic's infamous impressions and other on-court antics click here: CLIP REEL: NOVAK DJOKOVIC.

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