Novak Djokovic might be as well-known for his off-court controversies as his tennis brilliance. The case of his detention and deportation from Australia drew worldwide attention and sparked anger in his homeland, Serbia. His father, Srdjan, remained adamant that Djokovic was “the Spartacus of the new world” and that “he is like water and water paves its own path”.
His father’s reaction may be indicative, but Djokovic’s unorthodox world view and scepticism of societal norms have been advertised, and self-promoted, for several years. After all, it was in his own book, Serve to Win, that he detailed the moment his transformative gluten-free diet began in 2010, when he self-diagnosed a celiac allergy by pressing a slice of bread against his abdomen.
