Moratorium

 

 

Djokovic d. Bennetau 7-5, 7-5 (Just)

 

Not funny.

 

"It was obvious that on the court I wasn't feeling the best, but I [overcame] it," he said.
Djokovic described the problem as "nothing unusual, just little heat issues that I have," but added, "I will never ever risk my health just to win. Today I was really on the edge."

-- tennis.com

 

Alright, I’ll admit there was a time when he was both an irritating prick and a bit of a drama-king. Quite a bit of one in fact.

 

It’s one thing taking the occasional jab at his fitness: he’s likely made his peace with his health issues being the butt of jokes until well after his career’s over.

 

It’s also true that his breathing problems are very real and date back to before 2005, something he had nasal surgery to help with.

 

It can’t be helpful knowing you must either push your health to it’s limits or else risk the ire of a merciless tennis media waiting to pounce with it’s agenda.

 

What we have now is a player who’s ditched the sillies (arguably what gave him his edge) yet continues to struggle with what almost, now, seems a chronic condition and, as David Laws would have it, almost seems resigned to it.

 

Man Down = Stop Kicking.

 

Again.