In Rio this week we saw Novak Djokovic in tears as he saw his dream of an Olympic medal disappear in the first round, having lost to Martin Del Potro. The tears streamed down his face as his failing unfortunately came off the back another at Wimbledon this year. He was the first man to hold all four Grand Slams in 47 years before that, but that doesn’t make him infallible and no less human to upsets. “It’s not easy to handle, especially now, just after the wounds are still fresh,” he said after the game “But you have to deal with it. It’s not the first or the last time that I have lost a tennis match. But the Olympic Games, yeah, it’s completely different.” The Serbian star has a bronze from his time at Beijing 2008, but it seems he has had to come to terms with his dream run coming to an end. He is not the first and will not be the last Tennis player to succumb to his emotions!
As a proud Brit, I have to hark back to the day Andy Murray went from spoilt brat to hero at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. There is always a tremendous weight on a British player’s shoulders at SW19. So when one finally reached the final it was a charged atmosphere. Andy could not quite get there as he faced a 30-year-old Roger Federer. He lost 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 and was in tears afterwards. During the interview he started by stating “I’m going to try this, and it’s not going to be easy”. At this moment the entire nation fell in love with him, and finally they had a hero they could get behind for the first time since Tim Henman. Low and behold they were there the very next year to see him lift the trophy.
Underdog stories have been rife lately with Leicester City in the news, but back in 2001 one of the biggest happened in Tennis when a wild card won Wimbledon! Okay Goran Ivanisevic was not a nobody, but at the time he was 125th in the world. He faced Pat Rafter in the final and had three previous failures at Wimbledon on his mind. A mammoth match took place going deep into the fifth set. It must have sent fans and betting punters giddy. The moment Goran won was one of the most emotional memories for me in tennis. His tears and antics in climbing up onto the balcony hugging his fans stay etched in my memory. His father had just had triple bypass surgery and it must have added to his emotions.
On a list of emotional players there is one name you can’t leave out, and that is John McEnroe. The hot-headed American is a byword for rage. His outburst at Wimbledon 35 years ago has gone down in history as one of the most memorable moments of Tennis. The quote “You Cannot Be Serious!” took on a life of its own, being included in pop songs, film dialogues and even a car insurance advertising campaign which John McEnroe starred in.
Andre Agassi is one of the most recognisable names in tennis, and his career one of the most memorable. Whether it is the mullet and sweatband, or shiny baldness he is burned in to my retinas. At the US Open in 2006 his body was finally giving up on him and it became clear it would be his last tournament. He needed injections after every match in the first two rounds which all went to five sets. The American, who was 36 at the time, finally fell at the third hurdle against 112th ranked German Benjamin Becker. Agassi received a standing ovation and gave what I believe to be the best post-match speech ever given. The emotion of the moment shows what Tennis does for someone’s life and shows the power of the sport. So I will leave the last words of the article for him:
“The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found. And over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty: You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration: You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I have found generosity: You have given me your shoulders to stand on, to reach for my dreams, dreams I could have never reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you, and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.”
