Novak Djokovic is not a bad guy, but his lack of tact and poor decision-making skills certainly raise eyebrows

Novak Djokovic is a phenomenal tennis player and will likely end up as the greatest of all time unless Rafael Nadal goes berserk in the next few years. If you ask most players, especially the lower-ranked ones, they will tell you that Djokovic is one-in-a-million.

Ask the kids on the streets of Serbia with whom he’s often spotted playing tennis, and they will vouch for his benevolence. Those who have benefited from his Foundation, especially during the pandemic, will remember the World No. 1 in a positive light throughout.

Large sections of Djokovic’s enormous fanbase, popularly known as ‘Nolefam’, might have a cult-like reputation, but they have sworn that the Serb is a gem of an individual who is almost always misunderstood.

Ask the lower-ranked players, for whom he is fighting tooth and nail under the umbrella of the PTPA, and they too will shout from their rooftops that nobody cares about the sport and its betterment as much as Novak Djokovic.

Sure, some top players might not see eye-to-eye with the 20-time Major champion, but nobody can really be liked by everyone on this planet. But that certainly does not make the Serb a bad person, but more likely someone who has been misunderstood for large parts of his career.

That said, we need to ask why misunderstandings occur with as much frequency as they do with Djokovic. Be it the Adria Tour, his comments about the quarantine facilities at the 2021 Australian Open, his default from the 2020 US Open, his vaccination viewpoints, and the visa scandal at this year’s Australian Open, controversy has always followed the 34-year-old.

Why is Novak Djokovic controversy’s favorite child?

Novak Djokovic was detained in Melbourne earlier this year

Long story short, Djokovic lacks tact. He tends to speak his mind without worrying too much about the consequences, which often proves costly.

In a world where political correctness is so important, the Serb's bluntness does him no favors. Moreover, tennis audiences have become accustomed to listening to a masterfully diplomatic Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal conduct themselves with consummate professionalism wherever they go.

Therefore, Djokovic’s forthright nature comes as a tremendous shock to many. One might argue that the Serb values honesty and integrity above all else, which places him a rung or two above his peers.

Honesty might win you fans, but at the end of the day, a clean image etches your name in history like it has for Federer and Nadal.

A look at some of Djokovic’s questionable decisions

Novak Djokovic and his brother Marko at the Adria tour in 2020

Hosting the Adria tour was a mind-boggling decision, primarily since it was organized in the thick of the pandemic. Yes, the Serb might have had good intentions while going ahead with the event, but surely those intentions should not have been given more importance than people’s health?

The Serb argued that he had received clearance from his government and the concerned authorities to go ahead with the event. But that is merely passing the buck, which is often a trait of poor decision-makers.

Moving on, while we cannot blame Djokovic entirely for his US Open default, we can certainly do so in the case of his visa fiasco ahead of this year’s Australian Open.

Beginning with testing positive for COVID-19 under suspicious circumstances, visiting an awards ceremony for kids within days of the positive test and then participating in an interview, Djokovic was a symbol of stupidity.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the Serb did feel like he could not let down the children or the journalist, given that he values the commitments and time of people. But as a global icon and a person many look up to, surely he should have been thinking about them too?

He was probably not selfish in this case, given that he has attended numerous award ceremonies and interviews. But he was far from thoughtful.

Perhaps the Serb is not an anti-vaxxer, as he so explicitly states in every interview, but he cannot expect to be given the benefit of the doubt considering the health situation around the world.

Agreed that he cannot be forced to get vaccinated against his wishes, but it feels like he has not been educated enough regarding the actual science behind the vaccines. Hanging out with pseudo-scientists like Semir Osmanagic also hasn’t done him or his public image any favors.

Last but certainly not the least, the 20-time Major champion is a man who famously said in the past that the “power of prayer” can purify water. Are these the words of someone who is meant to be taken seriously? No, for statements like this lower his stock even further and force us to take his future comments with a pinch of salt as well.

"I've seen people and I know some people that, through that energetical transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they manage to turn the most toxic food or most polluted water, into the most healing water," Novak Djokovic said. "Because water reacts and scientists have proven that, that molecules in the water react to our emotions, to what is being said."

Novak Djokovic is like the boy who cried wolf, but instead of crying wolf, he has made ludicrous statements and unfathomable decisions. And those, in turn, have led people to lose faith in him. As such, even when he does talk sense, not many pay heed to what he has to say.

Crying wolf for no reason turned out to be a bad decision for the boy, and one can't help but wonder if the World No. 1 is heading down the same path.