103 SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 2021Then of course there is his unsurpassed and unsurpass-
ing tennis. Djokovic finished the year with five titles. Yet
the most meaningful and revelatory, ironically, may well
have been not one of his three majors, but the Paris Masters
event he won indoors on Nov. 7. That marked his return
after his disappointment, and it so happened that he faced
a rematch with Medvedev in the final. Djokovic lost the
first set, and already the narrative was gestating. This guy
is in Djokovic’s head....Psychic scar tissue builds....He
may be surpassing Federer and Nadal, but Djokovic has a
new rival....
Then Djokovic reminded us all—not least himself—why
he’s likely to be recalled as the best man ever to have
grabbed a racket. He changed tactics, headed to the net
a whopping 33 times, leavened offense with defense
and closed out a win he described as a “perfect battle,”
4–6, 6–3, 6–3. “I’m not afraid to mix it up,” he said,
referring to his strategic shift but also sending a reminder
that there is no better tennis fighter.
If history, math and common sense provide any guide,
2022 will be the year Djokovic produces the equivalent
of game-set-match on what’s left of the GOAT debate.
He’s coming off perhaps the best year of his career. The
seeker will continue seeking. The wolf still bays.2 O
2 1