For much of his career, Novak Djokovic has been chasing a seal of approval that has not been forthcoming.
Living in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appeared to be Djokovic’s fate as he came to the title-winning party a little later than the two champions who had started to dominate the sport.
Djokovic’s success was treated as an annoyance by those who were keen to see more and more of the Federer vs Nadal battle, with the third member of this happy sporting marriage an unwelcome addition to the story.
Yet after Federer retired from the sport last year and Nadal is edging towards what he suggests could be his final hurrah on the tour next year, it feels like a new respect is growing for Djokovic.
His achievements look certain to mark him down as the greatest player of all time, with his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in September all but ensuring he will end this golden era of tennis with the most Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic is also about to move past the 400-week mark as the world’s No 1 player and has all the key records in tennis history with his name now etched next to them.
Many of those records may never be broken, yet there was always a feeling that this divisive champion would win the popularity battle that has been such a factor over the course of his career.
This great champion has often been jeered and heckled during high-profile matches, with the controversies he has been caught up in over the course of his career used as a stick to beat him with by tennis fans who simply want anyone but Djokovic to win.
READ MORE: ATP Rankings: Novak Djokovic edges closer to peerless record as Carlos Alcaraz looks to restart No 1 push
“I think out of all of them, Novak has had the toughest go when it comes to image, for whatever reasons,” former British No 1 Johanna Konta told Tennis365.com in August.
“He just got there a bit later so you had really strong fan bases for Rafa and for Roger.
“Also, Rafa and Roger can claim they changed the game, they brought in something new. Novak can’t really claim that. He just got there a bit later, but by God he is one of the main reasons why the game is where is it now.
“I think it sucks for him that he doesn’t get that kind of fan recognition. I think also, you know, people want to jump on the bandwagon to hate on someone.
“People don’t like Djokovic because it’s trendy. I don’t think any one person can say why they don’t like Djokovic.
“No one knows him, just like no one knows Roger or Rafa personally. If you stop any fan and ask them why they don’t like Djokovic, they won’t know really.”
They are sentiments that were hard to dispute for the last 15 years, but the mood music around Djokovic appears to have changed.
His achievements alone have melted a few of his critics and it seems Djokovic has also shifted his focus to present himself as a more open book for the world to read.
The Serbian made a positive impression when he competed in a pro-celebrity golf match ahead of the Ryder Cup in Italy and he was given a big cheer by the French crowd when his face flashed up as he sat in the stands at last Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Final in Paris.
Then on Monday night, he was at another major event in the French capital, as he presented an award at the Ballon d’Or football ceremony that saw Lionel Messi take the top prize for a record eighth time.
“It’s nice to take the opportunity, when you have a tournament in the city where you have some big sporting events like the World Cup Finals of rugby or the Ballon d’Or, you have to take the chance and I am enjoying myself,” said Djokovic.
“Football is by far the most popular sport in the world. I grew up watching football, playing football and my father was a professional for a time. So I am excited to be here.”
Djokovic presented an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony and there were surprised gasps around the star-studded audience as he took to the stage, with the gravitas he now holds as one of the world’s greatest sporting champions resonating with some of the biggest names in football.
This may well become the new normal for Djokovic… and not before time.
He has long been one of the biggest stars in tennis, but the longevity of his success on the global sporting stage is shifting a few negative opinions that have dogged him.
At the age of 36, we don’t know how long Djokovic has left as the king of the tennis world, but he is clearly winning another battle that has been beyond him for so long as he is finally getting the adulation he merits after a career of relentless brilliance.
