Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim has offered his perspective on the comparisons made between tennis legend Novak Djokovic and football star Aaron Rodgers.
Speaking on the ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ podcast, Wertheim noted that many casual fans liken Djokovic to Rodgers due to the controversies both have faced alongside their remarkable careers.
However, Wertheim dismissed this notion, stating (at 1:16:50):
“To the casual fan, they know him as the… ‘Who’s the Aaron Rodgers of tennis?’, and you want to say, first of all, Aaron Rodgers is an a**hole, this guy [Novak] is not. But also, there is complexity here.”
The veteran journalist emphasized that Djokovic should be judged based on his achievements rather than his decision to remain unvaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He’s a complicated guy, he’s extraordinarily bright… I just think, take a step back, has he done everything perfectly? He has not. At the same time, this is one of the great sports figures of our generation and it’s about time people knew him for that and not for his decisions during Covid.”
Wertheim highlighted that Djokovic has earned admiration from fans who appreciate his unconventional approach, such as conducting interviews without professional assistance.
“If you love the fact that he does things differently if you love the fact that he’s 36 years old and inviting you to Serbia for two hours without a minder to have an open conversation, you’ve to appreciate that there are other things he’s going to do that are off script,” Wertheim continued.
