The Djokovic drama has given his brand exactly what he wants

Novak Djokovic has a reputation for being a wildcard both on and off the court. The Brand Builders general manger Charlotte Woods says we shouldn’t be surprised by his recent visa saga.

There’s a history of Novak Djokovic making the news for his unpleasant off-court (and sometimes on-court) antics. “Djokovic? That’s the anti-vax tennis player, right?” “Isn’t he the one that thinks you can cleanse water with positive thinking?” “Oh, you mean the guy who decked a judge in the throat with a tennis ball. Yeah, he sucks.” 

Djokovic’s actions over the last week are very on brand. He already told us in 2020 that he wouldn’t be taking the COVID vaccine to get back on the court. And yet there’s been a chorus of premature celebrations about this visa drama marking the end of Djokovic’s career. We’re all a little too confident that he has damaged his brand beyond repair.  

This isn’t the end for him, whether we like it or not. He will continue to play, to get sponsored, to gain new Instagram followers and dominate media headlines.  

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