"May God help that man, if he can even be helped": Novak Djokovic's dad lashes out at new LOAT nickname
ATPSunday, 23 July 2023 at 09:15
The world number two Novak Djokovic’s father has lambasted a
journalist who called his son LOAT (Loser of All Time).
The 36-year-old recently suffered a defeat in the final of
the third Grand Slam of the year in London to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in a
five-set thriller with a score of 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 on Sunday.
The defeat gave Djokovic an unwarranted record as he became
the player who lost the most finals in the Grand Slams (12), overtaking Switzerland’s
Roger Federer who was defeated 11 times.
Following that defeat, journalist Nebojsa Sofranac labelled
Djokovic as the LOAT, something that clearly made the Serb’s father angry.
"May God help that man. If he can even be helped, and
if he really means everything he wrote,” he said.
Despite that result, Djokovic remains the most successful
player in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won
23 Grand Slam titles.
But that defeat in London surely halted his march towards
equaling Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
Currently, the Belgrade-born is the joint second-most successful
player in the competition’s history with seven titles to his name, equal with
America’s Pete Sampras.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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