New York: I never really warmed to Novak Djokovic. He was the Achilles heel to my beloved Roger Federer, culminating in that 2019 Wimbledon final. For years, he rocked up to Melbourne Park and made the entire tournament predictable. When he was astonishingly, and probably unfairly, barred from Australia in 2022, at least it meant someone else had a go (a man by the name of Rafael Nadal, it transpired).

But as I watched Djokovic emerge at Arthur Ashe Stadium to an enthusiastic roar from the New York crowd, I felt a strange sensation come over me. I shared their zeal. I was caught up in the legend. I wanted him to win.

The Djokovic of 2025 is not the unassailable freak of the sport that secured 10 Australian Open wins amid a record 24 grand slam titles. He is, of course, still freakishly good – good enough to make the semi-finals of each major so far this year, a year in which he celebrated his 38th birthday. But from those unparalleled heights, he is now coming down the other side of the mountain.

A two-week grand slam is gruelling enough........

© Brisbane Times