Novak Djokovic’s propensity for self-sabotage has become a defining trait | Tumaini Carayol

The Serb is willing to pay price of being unvaccinated but is it worth missing the chance to be seen as the greatest ever?

Over the past 11 years of men’s tennis, during which Novak Djokovic rose to dominance and improbably positioned himself as one of the greatest to play the game, the only time his success has been in doubt came after the summer of 2017 when he suffered through many months with an elbow injury.

The injury became a point of contention between himself and his then-coach, Andre Agassi, who later said he had swiftly advocated surgery. But Djokovic addressed the injury by resting for nearly six months, believing his body was built to heal itself naturally. It was not. After returning the next year to pain and early losses Djokovic finally underwent surgery in February 2018. As he digested his guilt about agreeing to the surgery, he cried for days.