Novak Djokovic’s Controversial Image Will Stick With Him For His Career Says Tennis Legend

The success of Novak Djokovic on the court has been iconic but his most recent disqualification coupled with a controversial 2020 will forever stick to his name. The bizarre US Open incident will have a strong impact on Djokovic’s career says, John McEnroe.

Known as one of the biggest personalities of the sport, McEnroe shared that people will associate the recent match default to Djokovic’s legacy.

"The pressure just got to him I think," McEnroe shared to ESPN by way of CNN.

It’s interesting to note that McEnroe himself was disqualified in the 1990 Australian Open for misconduct. The reputation of McEnroe will always be linked to animated outbursts on the court.

“Now whether he likes it or not, he's going to be the bad guy for the rest of his career. It'll be interesting to see how he handles it," McEnroe continued.

The undefeated streak of Novak Djokovic has ended care of his own hands as he got himself disqualified against Pablo Carreno Busta. The world number one struck the ball out of frustration but unfortunately landed straight on the line judge.

While Djokovic took to Instagram to reflect and apologize regarding the incident, the world number one will unable to capture a Grand Slam title that was heavily favored for him to win.

“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the linesperson and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I'm extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I'm not disclosing her name to respect her privacy,” Djokovic wrote.

The USTA’s statement indicated that Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned at the US Open and will be fined for the incident.

Earlier this year, Djokovic was in the middle of controversy for the canceled Adria tournament that he hosted in Serbia. The lack of social distancing and other pandemic protocols resulted in several players and staff testing positive for the coronavirus.

In addition to this, the newly players-only association founded by Djokovic was met with criticism.

"If he embraces that role, I think he could recover," McEnroe added.

It will be a big challenge for the 17-time Grand Slam winner to overcome in the next coming months.

"He's got a lot of things going for him, but this is obviously a stain that he's not going to be able to erase," McEnroe concluded.