Sports
An Unplayed Australian Open Is a Turning Point for Novak Djokovic ( Opinion)
An Unplayed Australian Open Is a Turning Point for Novak Djokovic ( Opinion)
Even after being ejected from Australia, Novak Djokovic will remain No. 1 in the men’s tennis rankings at the end of the Australian Open, which began on Monday without him.
He still holds the titles at the French Open and Wimbledon; still has supple limbs, formidable tennis skills and a deep history of resilience in the face of hostile crowds and long odds.
But in a what-have-you-won-for-me-lately sport that is often categorised by eras and the champions who define them, it would come as no surprise if Sunday marked a turning point, symbolised by his long, grim walk to the airport gate in Melbourne under the escort of immigration officials.
Djokovic is 34, and as he left Australia against his will after his Visa was cancelled, a new generation of taller, talented stars in men’s tennis was preparing to pursue the title at the Grand Slam tournament he has dominated like no other and may never play again, if his three-year ban from the country is not rescinded.
“This certainly could knock him back,” John Isner, a friend of Djokovic’s and one of the top-ranked American players, said on Sunday. “I honestly don’t know which way it will go. It could take him a long time to recover, or light a fire under him.”
Djokovic has rebounded from demoralising periods in the past and resumed winning. In 2017, after perhaps the most dominant phase of his career, he struggled with his motivation and lost his edge for more than a year amid personal problems and a persistent right elbow injury. He had a commitment to natural healing that foreshadowed his decision not to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. But after playing and struggling at the Australian Open in 2018 with his elbow supported by a compression sleeve, he decided, tearfully he has said, to undergo surgery.
Five months later, he was a Grand Slam champion again, winning the 2018 Wimbledon title and soon re-establishing himself as No. 1, at the expense of his career-long rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
In early 2020, Djokovic was still on a roll, starting the year with 18 straight victories before the pandemic shut down the sport for five months in 2020. He organized an ill-advised exhibition tour in Serbia and Croatia in June during the enforced break that turned into a superspreader event and public-relations bonfire as he and other players and team members, including Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic, danced and partied unmasked in a Balkan nightclub, thoroughly out of sync with the global mood.
The tour was cancelled. Djokovic; his wife, Jelena; Ivanisevic; and others tested positive for the coronavirus, and when Djokovic did return to Grand Slam action, at the 2020 U.S. Open, he proceeded to eliminate himself from the tournament in the fourth round by hitting a ball in frustration after losing his serve and inadvertently hitting a lineswoman in the throat. He was defaulted by the tournament referee and returned to Europe to regroup. A young Austrian, Dominic Thiem, eventually won the title.
After all the dubious decisions and dents to his image, another Djokovic tailspin was hardly out of the question, but in a reflection of his tenacity and talent, he roared back in 2021 with one of his finest seasons: winning the first three Grand Slam tournaments and coming within one match of achieving the first men’s Grand Slam in singles in 52 years before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open final.
That display of resilience in 2021 should give pause to all those who might expect Djokovic to curl himself into a ball on the floor of his Monte Carlo apartment in the aftermath of the Australian affair.
We are talking about a player who became a champion despite growing up in Belgrade during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, when NATO bombing forced him to interrupt tennis practices. He left home at 12 for a tennis academy in Germany as his parents and family borrowed and improvised to fund his training in the hope that the sport would be his route, and theirs, to better days. Djokovic told me that his father, Srdjan, once gathered the family and slammed a 10 Deutsche mark on the kitchen table and explained that this was all the money they had left.
“He said that more than ever we have to stick together and go through this together and figure out the way,” Djokovic said in that interview. “That was a very powerful and very impactful moment in my growth, my life, all of our lives.”
What is one deportation in comparison with all of that?
The answer seems self-evident, but the body blows can add up. Djokovic is accustomed to being the outsider, to hearing the roars of support for Federer and other opponents and winning anyway. He has even gone so far as to imagine that the crowds are chanting his name instead, but he has never been a global target to this degree.
Though he insists he does not want to be an anti-vaccine champion, the fallout from his iconoclastic stance in Australia — he is one of only three top-100 men’s players to be unvaccinated — means that he will be indelibly associated with the issue. And as long as he remains unvaccinated, he will face challenges entering some other countries and tournaments.
Energy is one of Djokovic’s hallmarks. Spend time with him one on one and his life force and restless curiosity come through, but he has expended a great deal of effort in recent years on causes beyond winning tennis matches: taking on the status quo on the men’s tour and creating a new player group to promote — so far unsuccessfully — change and more decision-making power for players at all levels of the rankings. He has helped start a new tournament in Belgrade, done charitable work in Serbia and the Balkan region and has cooperated with a behind-the-scenes documentary that is expected to be released in 2022.
It should have no dearth of content: no shortage of major triumphs and brutal setbacks. At what point does it all dull his edge? The answer could be right about now.
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TY BURATAI emerges as the Champions of Seventh edition of ZAMAN LAFIYA COMPETITION in Maiduguri.
TY BURATAI emerges as the Champions of Seventh edition of ZAMAN LAFIYA COMPETITION in Maiduguri.
TY BURATAI Football Academy defeated FC Crack at the finals of the Seventh edition of Zaman Lafiya competition in Maiduguri on Sunday 3 August 2025.
In his relentless efforts in the restoration of peace and development as well as support toward youths development and engagement including after his service as the Chief of Army Staff, Ambassador General TY BURATAI (rtd) continues his support and youths engagement in Borno state
The most entertaining youths and historic football competition final match was played in Maiduguri between two powerful football Academy’s in the state, TY BURATAI football Academy slog it out against FC Crack Football Academy was played peacefully.
The match, which was played at the El-Kanemi Warriors Sport Centre Maiduguri, witnessed the turnout of hundreds of spectators as well as security agencies in the state.
Following a display of talents and skills from both teams with missing several scoring chances, the match ended in a goalless draw.
Meanwhile, it goes straight into the penalty shootout, TY BURATAI Academy won in a narrow score line after a player from FC Crack missed the first opportunity for them to win the trophy.
TY BURATAI Academy capitalizes on the opportunity and maintains the lead by seven goals to eight in favour of Buratai Academy.
On his remark after the final whistle, Alhaji Ibrahim Buratai President FC Buratai Academy congrats the team in putting efforts of winning tropy and call on youths to show love and togetherness among themselves.
Also adding that it’s a form of non kinetic war by engaging youths in the state so as to do away with all forms of social vices as well as embrace peace, discipline, and love for each other.
It could be recalled that Ambassador General TY BURATAI since his assumption into the office as the Chief of Army Staff has been applying various ways, techniques, and modalities of youth engagement as well as youths development in Borno state and the north east at large.
Highlight of the final match was a presentation of a set of Jersey to each and all the participated clubs and gifts to individuals that distinguish themselves, among other.
Dignitaries at the event include all football stakeholders in the state including Nigerian Football Federation NFF board member Alhaji Babagana Kalli Kachallah Ozogler, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed OC Crack Borno state, Alhaji Ibrahim Mainu Mustapha Chairman Elkanemi Warriors Football Club as well as Kabiru Dogo Technical Director of Elkanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri.
Lagos crowd left stunned as Oyakojo floors Williams in round two to claim national glory
LAGOS, NIGERIA — JULY 30, 2025: Boxing fans at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, were treated to a stunning spectacle on Wednesday as Muyideen Oyakojo knocked out Yinka Williams in just 35 seconds to claim the National Bantamweight Title.
The 10-round, 3-minute per round contest was expected to be a long battle between the two evenly matched fighters—Oyakojo weighing in at 53.5kg and Williams at 53.0kg. However, the bout took a dramatic turn when Oyakojo delivered a crushing blow that led to a technical knockout before the first minute of the second round.
Oyakojo who hails from Itaepo, Ile Ago Compound in Iseyin Local Government Area, said he dedicated the belt to the Oyo State Government.
“I give all praise and gratitude to Allah for His constant mercy over me,” Oyakojo said during a post-fight interview. “This victory is not mine alone—it’s the result of the unrelenting support from Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, and the top-notch training and belief from my coaches, Coach Jumbo Michael and Coach Ajisafe Wahab.”
“This is just the beginning,” Oyakojo added. “I’m focused, I’m ready, and with Allah’s help, I’m going to take this title even further.”
The electrifying atmosphere drew boxing lovers from Lagos, Ogun, and other states across the Southwest, reaffirming the sport’s growing popularity in the region.
The panel of judges for the match included Tayo Olaifa, Constance Chinagorom, and Seyi Ajao, while Referee Seyi George officiated the bout.
The fight was supervised under the auspices of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC), with Dr. Rafiu Oladipo, President of the NBBofC, acting as the official supervisor. Other stewards for the event included Gloves Master Oladipo Babalola, Ring Marshal Adewale Abe, and Time Keepers Titilope Ogunkunle and Prince Ade Olofin.
The medical team comprised Dr. Tajudeen Sule and Dr. Chike Ilukwe, while the Board’s General Secretary, Remi Aboderin, served as event coordinator.
With this emphatic victory, Oyakojo not only secures his place as Nigeria’s National Bantamweight Champion but also sends a powerful message to rivals on the national and continental boxing scene.
WAFCON 2025: Nigerians in South Africa Hail Super Falcons.
RABAT, MOROCCO ~ In what will be remembered as one of the most thrilling finals in the history of women’s football on the African continent, Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons pulled off a stunning comeback to defeat Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses 3-2 and lift their record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title.
Trailing by two goals in the first half and facing a roaring home crowd in Rabat, the Falcons embodied resilience, spirit and determination; qualities that have long defined Nigerian excellence in sport. Their triumphant feat, dubbed “Mission X” by fans and commentators, has sparked jubilation across Nigeria and among diaspora communities worldwide.
In South Africa, members of the Nigerian community under the auspices of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), joined the global celebration by issuing a congratulatory message to the team, commending their strength of character and the unyielding Nigerian spirit they displayed.
“The Super Falcons were composed, focused and determined to win the game. It’s not easy for a team to come from two goals down and win, especially against a host nation,” said Smart Nwobi, a lawyer and President of NUSA, in an official statement issued in Johannesburg on Sunday 27th of July.
The July 25 final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was a clash of titans. Morocco, as host nation and finalists from the previous edition, were seen as favorites on home turf. They struck early with two goals that put the Falcons on the back foot and raised questions about whether Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s football had finally met its match; As always, the Super Falcons responded not with fear, but with fury.
Led by star forward Asisat Oshoala, midfield dynamo Christy Ucheibe and the ever-reliable Onome Ebi, the Nigerian side gradually clawed their way back into the game. Uchenna Kanu’s volley opened the comeback before Rasheedat Ajibade netted the equalizer. Substitute Ifeoma Onumonu later buried the winner, sending the entire stadium into stunned silence, except for a pocket of proud Nigerian supporters.
This was more than a football match. It was a demonstration of tenacity, national pride and the never-say-die attitude that has become synonymous with the Nigerian identity.
In cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, members of the Nigerian community gathered in pubs, viewing centers and homes to watch the final. Celebrations erupted after the final whistle, with fans waving green-white-green flags, singing old football chants and even performing traditional dances in open spaces.
For many, this wasn’t just a football victory, it was a unifying moment that rekindled national pride in a time of widespread economic and political challenges back home.
“We join Nigerians across the world to congratulate the Super Falcons for this historic feat,” NUSA President Smart Nwobi added. “Winning the 10th title proves that Nigeria remains the gold standard in African women’s football.”
Nwobi urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) not to rest on its laurels, emphasizing that preparation for title defense should begin immediately.
“The standard of women’s football in Africa has improved significantly. Countries like Morocco, Zambia and South Africa are investing heavily. This implies that opposition will be stronger in future tournaments,” he warned.
Interestingly, the NUSA President also extended congratulations to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, who finished fourth in the tournament and were awarded the Fair Play Trophy.
“We salute Banyana Banyana for their discipline and sportsmanship. Despite not reaching the final, they played quality football and upheld the spirit of the game,” Nwobi noted.
Banyana Banyana have consistently proven themselves as Nigeria’s fiercest rivals in recent years, winning the 2022 edition of WAFCON and challenging Nigeria’s supremacy in women’s football.
Nigeria’s 2025 WAFCON victory has come at a crucial time. Amid soaring inflation, insecurity, youth unemployment and social unrest, this moment of national triumph offered a rare occasion for collective joy. The Super Falcons reminded Nigerians that even when the odds seem impossible, victory is always within reach. This tournament was also a showcase of Nigeria’s depth of talent. The Falcons fielded a younger team, integrating new talents such as Esther Okoronkwo, Rofiat Imran and Deborah Abiodun, who brought pace and freshness to the squad. Their performance demonstrated that the next generation is ready to carry the legacy forward. Nigeria’s performance shows what can be achieved with unity and purpose.
“This victory is symbolic. It tells us that when we fight together as a team and believe in our strength, we can overcome any odds. That’s a lesson the whole nation must learn, not just in football but in governance, industry, and civic life,” Nwobi added.
While fans celebrate, football stakeholders must begin the work of consolidating this achievement. There is a clear need for improved investment in women’s football development both at grassroots and professional levels. The Falcons’ consistent success masks the systemic neglect they face. From poor training facilities and inadequate pay to travel and accommodation issues, the players have continually pushed forward in spite of these challenges. Nigeria owes them more. The diaspora community, particularly influential groups like NUSA, has a key role to play. Through partnerships, sponsorships and advocacy, they can support female athletes and influence policy change back home.
“Let this victory be a wake-up call. Let it motivate us to demand better treatment and support for our athletes. If they can bring us pride and unity, the least we can do is empower them,” Nwobi concluded.
With this 10th title, the Super Falcons have once again asserted Nigeria’s position as Africa’s football powerhouse. But beyond the medals and trophies, they have given a nation (and its scattered sons and daughters) a reason to believe again. They have reminded us of who we are: a people that rise from adversity, defy the odds, and shine when it matters most.
From Rabat to Lagos, from Abuja to Johannesburg, one message rings clear: Nigeria is still the giant of Africa and our women just proved it again.
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