"Novak Djokovic wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal when he should have remained himself, today he is himself" - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has offered a possible explanation for Novak Djokovic's apparent lack of popularity among fans in comparison to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic further solidified his legacy this season by clinching his record 24th Grand Slam title, becoming the player with the most Major titles in the Open Era. However, despite overtaking Federer and Nadal in the Slam tally, the Serb continues to be perceived as less popular than his arch-rivals.
In a recent interview, Tsonga suggested that Djokovic's apparent attempt to deny his own personality in favor of emulating Federer and Nadal had caused this disconnect with fans.
The Frenchman argued that the 24-time Grand Slam champion simply needed to be true to himself, stating that the Serb's current authenticity was garnering appreciation from fans despite his "divisive" personality.
"I consider that he had a period where he didn't want to be himself. He wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, when perhaps he should have remained himself all along. I think today he is himself," he said on the Generation Do It Yourself podcast (via Le 10 Sport, translated from French).
"And even if it is divisive, I think that’s why it is appreciated by many people. Because now he's completely honest," he added.
Tsonga further emphasized that Djokovic acted based only on his convictions rather than for validation. He stated that the World No. 1 has embraced his "warrior" image, asserting that if the Serb had done so earlier, he would have been loved by the fans.
"He doesn't do things to be appreciated. He does things because he considers that they deserve to be done that way. We gain a lot from being ourselves," the Frenchman said.
"He wanted to get away from this warrior image that he has, because he is a Serb, who experienced difficult things in his childhood. So he’s a warrior, he should have assumed it from the start. I think he would have been loved for that," he added.
Novak Djokovic loses out on 2023 ATP Fans' Favorite Award in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's absence
Jannik Sinner recently won the ATP Fans’ Favourite Award for the 2023 season, breaking Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's long-standing monopoly on the honor.
Federer maintained a firm grip on the award thanks to his overwhelming popularity, winning it a record 19 times between 2003 and 2021. Nadal, on the other hand, secured the honor for the first time last year.
Novak Djokovic has never won the award in question, losing out to Sinner this year despite Federer's retirement and Nadal's prolonged absence from the tour.
Sinner's coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, also beat out Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic for the Coach of the Year award, resulting in the Serb taking a dig at the ATP over the perceived snub.