Off Court Hits and Misses: Novak Djokovic
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 4:44AM Tennis players are constantly the subject of scrutiny when it comes to what they wear on the court. Male or female, if you’re a top player, you can bet everyone will be giving the thumbs up or down to your Nike duds when a Grand Slam rolls around. Looking at on-court photos, we can deduce that the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer all have spectacular style.
But do they really?
Off-court might tell a different tale. Free from the restrictions of sponsorship, tennis players can choose exactly what they want to wear. And that’s not always a good thing.
On The Go Tennis will be analysing the off-court style of a top player every week. Shoes, earrings, cardigans... nothing will go unnoticed.
Novak Djokovic is the joker of the ATP; from impersonations to karaoke, he knows how to make fans giggle. No doubt he also likes to look cool doing it; no one wants to be laughed at for the their taste in clothing. So does Djokovic manage to look good when he's having a laugh away from tennis? Or is his fashion sense just as funny as his dancing?
His best look
For someone who attracts so much attention for being the life of the party, Novak might be expected to look best showing off the latest trends. I half expected to see him in short pink shorts, heavily gelled hair and a singlet cut so low it could be a woman's, (that's the fashion here in Australia, I don't know about you lot). Thankfully, Djokovic steers well clear of such outfits. Instead of wearing Justin Bieber inspired low-crotch trousers, he parties in tidy collared shirts and straight-legged jeans. The effect is such that Novak maintains an air of mystery; he looks prim and proper, but we all suspect he goes pretty wild behind closed doors. Which is pretty damn sexy. By choosing modest shirts, Novak doesn't scream 'look at me.' Instead, he knows he can walk into a room and stop it without having to wear anything outrageous.
And stop it he does...
Ok, but seriously, he looks good when he hasn't already been dancing for hours.
Personally, I can't resist a man who knows how to tuck his shirt in without looking like an absolute dork.
His worst look
It isn't all good when it comes to Novak's style. Fortunately for his repuatation, the biggest fashion sins appear to have been committed by stylists, not Novak himself. Whenever Novak is posing for a magazine, something called "White Pants Syndrome" overcomes those dressing him. Before Novak knows what's hit him, he's been dressed in the tightest white jeans they can squeeze him into and instructed to lie back and pull at his crotch.
Like any other man eager to be liked, Novak does what he is told.
My, what a large trophy you have, Novak.
White pants may be alternative and modern, but they're also very camp. They can only be worn with flair by the likes of Michael Jackson and Kate Middleton, and Novak Djokovic possesses neither the class nor cool to pull these off. Barely any man does.
But that's Ok, he looks pretty good without any pants at all. And how many people can say that?
His accessories
Glasses have made a huge comeback recently; hipsters with 20/20 vision are regularly spotted without lenses in their frames, (and despised by those who suffered years of being called '4 eyes' by those same hipsters in primary school). But those who suit glasses manage to look bookish in a sexy way and are the envy of fashionstas worldwide. Novak Djokovic is one of those people. He may be regulated to contact lenses on the court, but off court he rocks those frames as if he is the muse behind all glasses-wearing hipsters.
Glasses may be fashionable now, but many people feel uncomfortable wearing them. We praise Novak for choosing to wear them on a regular basis, giving a confidence boost to glasses-wearing tennis fans worldwide.
Even his girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, gets in on the action occasionally.
For the most part...
Novak dresses himself in a smart but relaxed style. Keeping it sensible is a good choice for this extroverted No.1; no one likes a show-off. However, he does need to learn how to resist peer pressure and have a say in what he wears on photo-shoots, (I am giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming he is forced into white jeans). Nobody likes a pushover, Novak. Just tell them that trophies that are positioned in a phallic manner and tight white pants aren't really your thing.
Some more of our favourite Novak moments...
Love it? Hate it? Let us know how you think Novak should dress in the comments below.
-Kait O'Callahan
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