Why Djokovic will probably never be as loved as Federer or Nadal

The times when you intensely pumped your fists in front of the Television or switched the damn box off in utter disgust, screamed your lungs out at match point or slumped back in misery with tears almost threatening to break the dam.

Even still, why Novak Djokovic has not been accorded his place among the pantheon of demigods has been the subject of mystery, multiple inconclusive and inebriated discussions, and the etiology for at least one of my dates going dead south.

It is not hard to like the guy, after all. He is already one of the greatest players tennis has seen; he's compassionate enough to share the umbrella with the ballboy; he's cool enough to play ballboy for the kids once in a while; he's quirky enough to piss off Maria Sharapova with his antics; he's probably friendly enough for you to share a beer with. In fact, he is the most likeable of all of them. It's just that love is too strong a word!

The last points to the strategic time-outs that Djokovic was famous for at one point of time that he was widely called the Drama Queen of tennis. Andy Murray, who he is supposed to be good pals with, said, "Don't worry about him. He does it all the time," when asked about the time-out during their 2015 Australian Open final. A Rod was not so diplomatic though and went all out when he was popped the question.

Despite moving into an age when every single move by a player is recorded and analyzed statistically, Sporting Greatness remains a nebulous and subtle entity. One constant, though, that has defined the legacy of any said sportsman is the quality of opposition they have faced and overcome. Muhammad Ali had Frazier, Michael Jordan had Magic Johnson, and Roger Federer had Rafael Nadal. The tale of each of them as they overcame their initial defeats to rise from the ashes and the belief in taking back what rightfully belonged to them is the base on which their standing has been built (although Federer appears to have won against Nadal sheerly by being the last man standing). The tapestry of greatness demands an equally illustrious weft to the warp, but Djokovic has been left holding the glowing strands of his career only occasionally colored with the splotches of Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. Having spent the early parts of his career in the gigantic shadows of the Swiss and the Spaniard, Djokovic, for no fault of his has shone only in the mediocre company of Andy and Stan. That Federer was past his 30 and Nadal has been plagued by injuries has not helped his cause at all.

 Additionally, Djokovic is no artist who can paint a picture of greatness by himself – like Federer - he who concocts symphonies with the mere whishes and whooshes of his racket. No thinkpieces shall ever be written of Djokovic, nor shall connoisseurs of the sport let themselves slip into delightful nostalgia on his behalf.

Rather, Djokovic represents the real over the surreal. He embodies the modern power-hitting baseline game even more than Rafa and that too without bearing the brunt of resultant injuries thanks to his inhuman fitness levels. Amid the relentless baselining, he does deliver those “Oh! How in hell did he do that” moments with his ability to disapparate and apparate from anywhere to anywhere in the court, but the impossibility of what he accomplishes is masked over by the tedious effectiveness of his style.

He is inarguably the greatest returner the sport has seen, but he does not possess the mysticism that Roger evokes. He has not transfigured the sport into a timeless experience as the Swiss has.

But, the most important reason why he is not so popular lies with us – we simply have not moved on or rather have not been allowed to. Roger Federer has hung on like a reluctant schoolkid who stays back after football session is over. Age has caught up with him sometime back, but his love for the sport has seen him return time and again to the center court at each of the Slams. On the other hand, Rafael Nadal has made comebacks appear unbelievably easy. He was written off the first time but came back to win Slams, and the second time around has just narrowly missed an Olympic medal.

Djoker may go on to equal Nadal or may be even Federer's record, but he will not be as loved as the other two have been – at least not anytime soon.