Former long-time professional player Sania Mirza heaped praise on Novak Djokovic in a recent interview calling him a respected peer on the ATP Tour.
Sania Mirza has had a long career that finished earlier this year. The Indian was a former top 30 singles player and former doubles number one winning multiple doubles Grand Slams. She's been on the Tour for two decades before retiring from the sport earlier this year.
In an interview she did recently, Mirza praised Djokovic as a compassionate player who looks out for more than just himself. A dedicated fan of tennis, she emphasized his commitment to the PTPA cause as a great example of the type of person he is.
(Novak Djokovic) is part of the Professional Tennis Players Association (which seeks greater autonomy for players), but he does not need to be part of it. He does so because he wants to help others who are not as privileged as him. I do not know how to describe greatness, but it is not just about being a great tennis player. It is also about being a good person.
While widely regarded as one of the best players on the Tour, there is a perceived lack of respect for him due to some off-court controversies. Most of that is due to him having a specific set of opinions which sometimes stays away from the masses.
It should be accepted, tolerated and respected but humans are human. For Mirza, it's pretty clear that there is a lot of respect for Djokovic among his peers.
I do not know if he is misunderstood on the circuit; he is quite liked actually on the tour. Everybody has a lot of respect for him, as they should, but I think because it has been a Rafa-Roger rivalry, everyone spoke about him as the third man who kind of came in. Who would have thought he would surpass everybody one day.
0 Comments