The King of Melbourne: Is it time to give Novak Djokovic a statue?

First things first: Novak Djokovic is the undeniable GOAT. That honour is neither a popularity nor style contest, and it has nothing to with vaccines.

Djokovic has broken every tennis record that matters – and came out on top in what is widely considered the best, or strongest, era of men’s tennis.

There will always be arguments about the challenge of comparing eras, but Djokovic (24), Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20) each won at least six more grand slam titles than the man with the fourth-most, Pete Sampras (14).

Djokovic also spent the most weeks at No.1 (428 weeks, compared to Federer’s 310) and finished the year in the top ranking more than anyone else (eight, compared to Sampras’ six).

The 38-year-old legend is also the only player to claim the career “golden Masters” – winning all nine active Masters 1000 events – and his 40 Masters titles in total are ahead of Nadal (36) and Federer (28).

His statistical supremacy is extraordinary, complete with an Olympic gold medal.

All this is important for the actual debate here: whether Tennis Australia should break with tradition and erect a statue, or even a bust, of Djokovic, a privilege that only Australians in our tennis hall of fame have in Melbourne Park’s Garden Square for now.

Grand slam titles remain the best gauge of a player’s status, and Djokovic’s 10 Australian Open triumphs make up almost half his overall tally (seven at Wimbledon, four at the US Open, and three at Roland-Garros).

Counting the amateur era, Federer and Australia’s Roy Emerson, both with six, have won the next-most singles titles in Melbourne. Only Margaret Court (polarising in her own right), with 11 championships across the amateur and open eras, has Djokovic covered.

Djokovic’s Australian Open feats include 10 titles, 103 match wins and that unforgettable 2012 title match when he outlasted Nadal across five hours and 53 minutes, which remains the longest grand slam final ever.

Melbourne Park will forever be a major part of Djokovic’s tennis legacy – and he might not be considered the greatest if that part of his resume was less fulsome.

We should be proud, as one of the major tennis countries, that the greatest to ever do it achieved more in Australia than anywhere else.

In May 2021, Roland-Garros unveiled a statue of Spaniard Rafael Nadal, a 14-time men’s singles champion at the claycourt grand slam in Paris. It was erected near one of the public entrance gates at the venue, something Tennis Australia should factor into any potential Djokovic tribute.

Garden Square could remain solely for Australians, and that would leave plenty of alternatives at the spacious Melbourne Park precinct.

However, a great spot would be somewhere outside Rod Laver Arena, a place that will forever belong to “Rocket” but has also been where Djokovic has performed incredible feats.

I am not naive enough to believe this is an open-and-shut case, particularly with one of Djokovic’s allies, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley, seemingly on the way out.

Djokovic stirs a lot of emotion and debate, but you can’t deny his record, and records.

As the super Serb continues his hunt for an 11th Open title, we need to seriously consider giving him a permanent place at Melbourne Park.

“I would be extremely flattered and honoured and proud, but it’s uncomfortable for me to talk about something that’s not there,” Djokovic told this masthead pre-tournament.

“If it happens, of course, I would be more than thrilled.”

Novak Djokovic deserves a statue at Melbourne Park about as much as Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

Which is not to say he does not deserve recognition.

I understand why tennis officials feel the urge to further reward his incredible achievements – beyond the record number of titles, the lucrative sponsorship deals and the millions in prizemoney.

The point is: don’t do it here, or at least not with a statue.

Do it at Flushing Meadows, or Roland-Garros, or Wimbledon. Hell, build a Djokovic statue next to Stonehenge for all I care.

But Australian sporting precincts are reserved for Australian sporting greats, such as Warnie and The Don, not international stars who have been as polarising as Djokovic.

To date, Melbourne Park’s Garden Square has been exclusively reserved for busts made in the likeness of Australian tennis greats – such as Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Pat Cash, and the “Rabbit” Wendy Turnbull.

Let’s not break with tradition. Tennis Australia should instead focus on immortalising another local legend. They don’t need to look far to find one.

In 2022, Ash Barty broke an Australian Open drought. She is an Indigenous woman who rose to become world No.1 and a three-time grand slam champion. And she is loved by Australians.

For all his greatness the same cannot be said of Djokovic.

In truth, Djokovic has never fully endeared himself to the Australian population. He has earned our respect and even our admiration, but he has never won our love.

For many years, he was perceived as a player who gamed the system. He was accused of suffering inconvenient ailments at the most convenient of times – mainly midway through a tight match when the result was slipping away.

This spectre raised its head during the 2015 Australian Open final.

Djokovic was forced to deny claims he faked an injury when trailing Andy Murray 0-2 in the third set. Instead, he called it a physical “crisis”.

He recovered to win the match and the title – 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0.

As a nation of sceptics, we almost recovered, too. As he racked up Australian Open titles, Djokovic flirted with winning us over.

He might have had a chance had it not been for the vaccination. Or his refusal to have one. Instead, he lobbed in Australia un-jabbed in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently deported.

Despite the lingering fall-out, the push for a Djokovic statue was born from  conversations with Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley.

On several occasions, Tiley has stated that the former world No.1 deserves to be honoured at Melbourne Park.

“He’s won this event 10 times, and we all get along great with Novak and his team,” Tiley told this masthead last year.

But Tiley has misread this nation’s reverence for its home-grown heroes.

Because even had Djokovic not thumbed his nose at mandatory vaccination requirements in January 2022, he would not have deserved a statue.

That right should be reserved for Australians. Someone like Barty.

Not that Barty is on board. “I am not sure a statue is my kind of thing,” she told this masthead in 2022.

Which is precisely the sort of attitude we should be applauding. Come on, let’s build that girl a statue.

Read more about the Australian Open:

• Live day 12 action from Melbourne Park
• Shriver files complaint against tennis coach who was engaged to teen player
• Tennis Australia defends behind-the-scenes cameras after Swiatek backs Gauff’s stance

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