“It’s not bad for Novak. It’s bad for tennis,” Obradovic, also crediting the development of players like Boris Pasanski, Viktor Trocki, Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic, told TOI from Belgrade, Serbia,
“Novak isn’t just the best tennis player. He’s the best athlete in all sports in the last five-six years.” And that, Obdravovich said, was something the established world order could not accept.
“You think of Muhammad Ali, Pele or even John Lennon. These are the people who really represented the real world,” he cited as examples. To convey his message to Indian fans , he cited Mahatma Gandhi’s fight against “stupid England”.
So, what will happen to Djokovic’s Grand Slam from here? Will he be able to play them in future without facing such hurdles?
“They will try to do the same thing, the same strategy. It is the only way they can stop him from achieving the Grand Slam record,” said Obradovic. “They are trying to destroy Djokovic, but they can’t. Can.”
The 54-year-old said the only way Djokovic can react now is organizing his own world tour. And BRIC countries can provide a strong countermeasure to the Commonwealth, he said.
“Novak is very powerful in his mind. With countries like India, Russia, China and Brazil, he can create a new ATP and new tournaments in Mumbai, Shanghai etc.,” said Obradovic.
“In 1973, he changed the game by launching the ATP. Djokovic has to launch a new ATP. The players are with him. If China and big economies like India, Russia and Brazil come together and join them, they can make a difference.
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