The grass is green for Novak Djokovic

By: Saurabh Somani
Even if you’ve never been there, you can almost hear the stillness before the serve, smell the grass cut to millimetres precision, feel the sun shining down on a rare, un-rain marred day, taste the strawberries and the cream.

Every year when June rolls into July, the best tennis players in the world bring out their whites and take part in The Championship. The oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam, Wimbledon remains the most coveted. The balls may have perhaps gotten a mite heavier, the surface may have slowed down slightly, but it’s still the only Slam on grass and retains its mystique as first among equals.

There is less mystery for punters who cast their eyes over the draw. Like it has been for more than a year now, it’s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams who tower above the rest on the men’s and women’s sides. Williams’s aura might have diminished a tad with losses in the finals of the Australian Open and French Open – not to speak of a semifinal defeat at US Open 2015 – but each of those defeats was undoubtedly an upset. She was expected to win each time. Just like she’ll be expected to win here. Stuck on 21 Grand Slam titles, Serena needs one more to equal Steffi Graf, and it would be fitting if that happened at Wimbledon.

Djokovic is both the heavy favourite, as well as the man you think simply cannot win this. The reasons for his being the favourite are rational, with solid foundations in fact and experience. He’s made the question, "Who won the last Grand Slam?" redundant, because no matter which of the four you refer to, the answer remains the same.

And yet, and yet – you think: There has to be some slip in consistency? He’s already gone where no man has before in the Open era, holding all four Slams simultaneously while they have been played on three different surfaces. He’s already scaled a peak higher than any of his all-time great contemporaries, even if he is still a bit behind in terms of their career records. But neither Roger Federer, nor Rafael Nadal held all four Grand Slams together.

That only four men have won all four Grand Slams in the Open Era and three play right now, should settle all debate about how privileged viewers have been to watch this greatest of tennis generations.

But even here, Djokovic has trod on an uncharted path. Surely the Law of Averages – as inapplicable as it may be to sporting greatness – has to catch up at some time? Surely he cannot stay motivated enough after the high of that elusive French Open-personal Grand Slam combination? He’s human, so he has to falter at some point? Well sure, but people probably thought that of Djokovic for the past two years. The last time he didn’t reach a Slam final was in the US Open in 2014. He’s won five of the last six, and six of the last eight. And, he’s the double defending champion at Wimbledon.

His greatest threats are likely to come from Andy Murray, the hometown hero and No.2 seed whom he’s slated to meet in the final. And then of course it’s the man you can never rule out at Wimbledon, as precise as the watches from his country, as delicious to the eyes as the chocolates.

Roger Federer missed the French Open 2016 after having played 65 consecutive Grand Slams, an unthinkable record. He’s not quite hit peak form on comeback, but when Djokovic was on his all-conquering 2015 spree, it was only Federer who managed to topple him, even if not on the biggest stages. The two are drawn to meet in the semifinals, and the romantics will continue to hope that all the stars align for Federer with him being on top of his game (perhaps more mentally than physically) and Djokovic having the off-day that seems like it is long overdue.

A champion who is challenging history once again. A hometown hero who could, possibly stop him. And an ageing warrior who might still show us all that the ‘ageing’ description matters not a bit.

It’s Wimbledon. It’s going to begin with a chair umpire calling for 'new balls please', but this is the place where the charm is in the old more than the new. The place where maintaining tradition has become a tradition in itself – and no one would have it any other way.