Comment: Djokovic wants to be loved, but keeps making all the wrong moves

The tennis star’s problem with entry to Australia is just the latest misstep from the man who is more sure-footed on the court than away from it

‘It’s all a mess, it was entirely avoidable, but the one certainty is that this won’t be the last controversy that draws ire on Djokovic’. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images

You only need to leave Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade to truly understand how beloved Novak Djokovic is in his native Serbia. You are quickly hit with building draping advertising featuring his image. In a country that far outperforms its population size on the international stage in sport, nobody has risen to a higher point in the esteem of Serbian sports fans.

“When there’s a big tournament like the US Open or Wimbledon, or even ...