COLUMNIST: On the travails of Djokovic and Messi

By Tony Afejuku

The Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Argentine Leo Messi are two well-known sports greats currently experiencing the exertions of disappointment and discontentment in their respective careers.

One is a tennis maestro while the other is a soccer wizard that is more than a soccer wizard. One is the current Number 1 tennis player in the world.

The other is the owner of six Ballon d’Or (“Golden Ball” trophies), a yearly football award presented by French news journal, France Football, for football players.

It is globally accepted and recognized as the “most prestigious award for football players.” Clearly, these two great sports personages do not need further background information or introduction.

But I am dwelling on them because of what, I restate, is discomfiting them and discolouring their names and reputations.

At the on-going COVID-19 US Open Tennis Tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, Djokovic was the overwhelming favourite, in the absence of Nadal, the defending champion, and Federer, the biggest winner ever of the US Open, for the title that every competitor always keenly eyes.

He was unceremoniously and uncharacteristically bounced out of the event in his encounter with the Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta before the event got to high-point rounds.

The Spaniard, an immaculate player in his own right, had never ousted Djokovic in their previous career matches. Each time they met in the Round of Sixteen the Serbian came out victorious.

In 2014, for example, the current world topped rank player defeated him in two straight sets.

This was at the Monte Carlo 1000 Masters in France. In 2017 at the same 1000 Masters of splendour, he similarly lost to Djokovic, although he deservedly won the second set.

In their last meeting at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters the Serbian also prevailed over him 6/3, 6/4. In this year’s Flushing Meadows meeting book-makers predicted that Carreno Busta would lose again to his nemesis from Serbia.

But, unexpectedly and ingloriously, Djokovic threw himself out of Flushing Meadows. What happened?

The world Number 1 was trailing the world Number 27 5/6 in the opening set of a gruelling encounter by whichever angle one viewed it.

Quite unexpectedly, Djokovic slam-banged a ball onto a female line umpire who obviously was hurt.

Carreno Busta was proclaimed the winner and victor in line with a Grand Slam Code which the Serbian violated. That was not all.

He would also forfeit all the points he accumulated in the tournament up to the time of his default and disqualification.

Furthermore, he mandatorily would forego the prize money he earned from his wins in the tournament up to the point he was bounced out.

And to ruin further his reputation, the 33- year old Serb skipped the mandatory press-meeting with journalists. What another act of indiscretion!

Did Djokovic succumb to pressure that he could not control when he saw imminent defeat staring at him? Did he feel terribly bad because his opponent was going to stop his 26-match winning run?

Did he feel so upset to the extent that he temporarily but shamefully lost his steam as a conqueror in tennis courts number-less times?

If I am to say what I am primed to say here and now, Djokovic was clearly and cleverly playing his usual tricks any time the tide of victory was turning against him.

Before he did what he did the Spaniard was obviously getting the better of him. To slow the momentum, he needed to do or invent something that would change the momentum against him and in his favour.

That was why he slam-banged a ball backwards.

He assumed that what he did would give him respite. In any case, he was visibly tired, and he had pretended to be injured as he always did when an opponent would be having the better of him.

The injury time-out the rule allows players he would use to re-invigorate himself and his ailing momentum.

And normally you would wonder how such a “terribly” injured player would or could eventually unleash onslaughts on his opponents.

In the final of the recently concluded Cincinnati 1000 Masters which happened for the first time in New York and outside western Ohio, on account of COVID-19 that was really horrible in Ohio, he precisely did this against Milos Raonic of Canada who taught him a tough lesson in set one.

The Serb who claimed to be severely injured bounced back to beat the Canadian in the next two sets. His familiar antics, which some tennis critics and observers allegedly called his cheating antics, did not work in his last meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta.

As John McEnroe, one of the fabulous legends of the sport, rightly observed, Djokovic is “going to be the bad guy [of tennis] the rest of his career.”

Djokovic has since apologized for his attitude that led to the “stain that he’s not going to be able to erase.”

To finally quote John McEnroe, perhaps one of the best American and the world’s ever, “You got to man up. It made no sense to me.

In the past I’ve seen him take responsibility when he’s blown it. In this case, it makes it even worse.”

And dear, dear Leo Messi, the serene Leo, the serene lion of Barcelona and Argentina, what is he going through now?

What have Barcelona helmspersons and La Liga top, top figures done to him? Have they fairly treated him?

Was he not really entitled to a free transfer from Barca at the end of the just ended season that UEFA extended beyond June on account of COVID-19? Clearly the transfer date for all would-be clubs’ candidates was extended.

Which contract of disengagement from Barca did the mercilessly talented Messi violate? And even UEFA are mum and dumb.

The good and loyal captain of Barca does not want to offend the club that made him what he was and what he is by going to court.

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But his action of wanting to leave Barca has obviously soiled his estimation in the eyes and minds of Barca and La Liga top echelons.

And consider the 8-2 drubbing Barca got in the UEFA champions league quarters from Bayern recently in Portugal where magical Messi became magical-less Messi.

Are the Barca fans in Spain and everywhere outside Spain not going to rank him unwholesomely now?

Questions, questions, and questions that are begging for answers! The Portugal caging and drubbing of Messi and Barca have dented and taken away more than something big from his football estimation.

And the transfer tango will injure his confidence and reputation further even though he has been selfishly and cruelly treated. What do you think?