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What makes Novak Djokovic a champion also may make him less likeable to tennis fans across the globe. More so than probably all of the top players on the Men's ATP tour, fans either love or dislike Djokovic. Why? He has amazing skills, conditioning and mental toughness. Novak wins when he should and has proven himself to be a champion. He also has been gracious in defeat. Djokovic should be considered a proven champion with the likes of Nadal and Federer.

Detractors of Djokovic will tell you that their dislike started early in his career. They talk about tanks, breathing problems, medical timeouts for less than appropriate reasons, and cockiness as evidenced by his post-match emulations of tennis stars' routines prior to serving. Certainly Djokovic taking a medical timeout prior to Murray serving out this year's US Open will only add fuel to their opinion.



But I say this opinion is full of flaws. Djokovic is not the only professional tennis player to have dealt with breathing problems on the court. And he seems to have overcome this issue. The guy played 6 hours of Grand Slam finals tennis against the toughest player on the planet - Nadal at the Aussie. Give him some credit!

Then there is the issue of medical timeouts. I really do not see Djokovic using these timeouts more than other players. In fact, I find Djokovic to be far better conditioned than almost all players on tour. In my humble opinion the Djokovic Detractors pick on those moments where he does call for a trainer to reinforce their faulty perception, but dismiss all of the times where he grinds out five sets of grueling backcourt tennis.

The cockiness issue; it is hard to counteract this argument. Novak has swagger and cockiness about his game, no doubt about it. However, I believe it is Djokovic's great self-belief and slight cockiness that has allowed him to break through Fed-Rafa stranglehold on the Slams. When Novak was still in pursuit of is first Slam many thought he would never win one. Then, when he beat Tsonga at the Aussie people used that as an excuse. He did not beat Fed or Rafa in the final. Since then Djokovic has proven himself to be a great champion. How was Novak able to believe that he could become #1 in the world when many players on the tour, let alone fans, believed that no one could overtake the Top 2? Self-belief bordering on cockiness. You have to have strong self-belief to envision yourself to be #1 in the World. This was especially the case for Novak coming out of war-torn Serbia. No Serb had won a Slam or been #1 in the world. Djokovic broke the ceiling and rewrote history because of his great self-belief.

So, dislike him if you will because he likes to have fun and has the confidence of a champion. Maybe sometimes it borders on cockiness. At other times he has been an agitator of the fans and media when he feels he is not getting his proper due and respect. Hey, he is not perfect, but wouldn't you do the same? It is time for even the detractors to respect the game and the man that is Novak Djokovic. He is mentally tough. He does show respect for his opponents in post-match interviews. Stop cherry-picking detractors of Djokovic. He is here to stay and will many more Grand Slams because of his great self-belief bordering on cockiness.

Maria Sharapova showed us the power of attitude in her 4th round match at the US Open versus Nadia Petrova. In a back and forth match, Petrova split sets with Sharapova and went up 2-0 in the third set. Petrova was on a run and Sharapova was in deep trouble. The US Open has not been her best tournament. Sharapova has a history of losing earlier at the US Open than in other Grand Slams. This includes memorable matches where she was a huge favorite like her defeat to Melanie Oudin.

With a history of first week losses at the US Open weighing on her like a 500-lb. gorilla Sharapova refused to give in. She was fortunate that the rains came and gave her a chance to refocus and talk to her coach. Her coach and father told her to keep fighting. And, that is exactly what she did. Sharapova came out of the one-hour rain delay with energy, intensity, and purpose. She was striking the ball clean and immediately broke Petrova to 2-1. Sharapova would roll from there and win the match. She can thank her comeback to her legendary focus and tough-minded attitude.
 
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When she returned from the locker room Sharapova repeatedly pumped her fist and imposed her intensity on Petrova. You could almost feel Sharapova intimidate Petrova through the television. I wish more players would use their intensity to change the course of matches. Andy Roddick has been doing it as well during the US Open. However, too many players seem to let fate take its course.

That is a tough statement because it is hard to know what is going through a player's head. In many cases professional players are better off not showing too much emotion or intensity because they do not respond well to it. Asking John Isner or Sam Querrey to act like Jimmy Connors is probably not a recipe for optimal tennis. At the same time may be a controlled burn is in order here? The ability to use your emotions to fuel your efforts, and impose your attitude on your opponent, while maintaining focus is a powerful weapon on the tennis court.

Serena Williams at times is awesome at finding the controlled burn. She vents positivity through fist pumps and yells on big points but does not lose it. Other times, like in her defeats the past few years at the Open, she let her emotions get out of control and she blew up at the umpire and lines people.

Therefore, it is a fine line to show emotion and stay focused. Not all players are Sharapova and Serena and can channel fierce intensity into composed shot-making. I guess tennis fans are fortunate that both Maria and Serena are still in the draw.

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  Yeah, I mean, I think out of the, what, nine that I missed, I didn't do too much wrong on at least half of them.  So that being the case, I think you got to just take it for what it is.  Okay, it's another point.  You're hopefully going to get another chance if you keep doing what you should be doing.  Kind of what I said to myself on the change of ends. Doesn't matter.  See where it gets you.  Disappointing not to have gotten in one of those other two games, but I still felt I was in a good position.

Q.  A situation like that could really rattle a player.  Would you say that was the most pleasing thing, that you were able to stay calm and ride it out?

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  It can get a little bit frustrating if you kind of let it get to you.  I think the more experienced you are, you don't let those things affect you.  Probably had a few flashbacks to a few matches last year when I had match points and couldn't close it out.  It's one of those things.  Sometimes it takes a few of them to get through.  Again, if you're not doing the wrong things on those points, you can't get too down on yourself.

Q.  Did you feel confident in that situation because of what happened last year?

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  For maybe half a second.  I think every time you play matches and you go through experiences like that, for sure it helps you the next times.  Like I said, if you're doing the right thing, then that's really all that matters.  Whether it's a match point, 15‑Love, whatever it is, that's the thing you've got to be more concerned about, I think.

It is clear that Stosur's thought process under pressure was to trust that she was doing the right thing and to just stick with it. Furthermore, Stosur credited her experience as a big factor in her being able to remain composed and focused, and finish Robson off. Do not underestimate the importance of match toughness. Most players need to play matches and compete in pressurized situations to develop the total trust and confidence needed to win a Grand Slam (or just even win a tour level match).

Therefore, under pressure take a lesson from Sam Stosur. Focus your mind on playing the kind of point that makes you successful. Go to the bread and butter pattern of play. And, put your self in situations often where you are in pressure match situations. It gives you an opportunity to work on your mental game. When you succeed in those situations it gives you a great deal of confidence and belief going in to future matches.

Andy Roddick announced Thursday that he would retire after the US Open. The announcement created a flood of polar opposite reactions, just like Andy and his game did for more than a decade. Some tennis enthusiasts will miss Andy as the stalwart of American men's tennis since Andre and Pete retired. Others will not miss him because they either think he did not live up to his potential, did not like his game, or did not like his swagger and biting wit.

For me, I will miss watching Andy Roddick after this Open. In multiple ways I feel Andy was a victim of his timing in American tennis and does not fully get the credit he deserves. Hopefully, he will be seen as a champion and get his full appreciation over the next few days. This certainly seemed to be the case in his match versus Bernard Tomic of Australia last night.

In my mind Roddick would have won at least 3 or 4 grand slams if it was not for than man known as "Darth" Federer. The two champions played some amazing matches; most notably the longest men's final at Wimbledon in 2009 where Roddick had the match on his strings. Although Federer holds a 21-3 lifetime record against Roddick this should not be a point of disregarding Andy's excellence. Instead, it is just another statistic that points out that Roddick was competing at the same time as the greatest tennis champion.

Roddick was a victim of playing at the height of Federer's dominance. Their paths often crossed in finals and unfortunately Andy was unable to get the win at Wimbledon or the US Open. Roddick was also a victim of falling in tow with a line of American champions going back a long time in history. The American tennis public thought Roddick would be the next great champion following the lines of Ashe, Connors, McEnroe, Courier, Sampras, and Agassi.

With hindsight we know now that crowning Andy as 6- or 8-time slam winner was a bit hasty. He won the 2003 US Open and looked as though he could dominate the top of the game with his huge serve and forehand. But, then something peculiar happened. Timing was not in Andy's favor again. Just as Andy became #1 in the world the game evolved quickly. Several young players started entering the tour that were able to block and return Andy's huge serve and actually outhit Andy on the forehand. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray would put a brick wall around the grand slam weekends and with Federer begin to create the Top 4 phenomenon.

So, timing can be cruel but also give you a window of opportunity. Roddick capitalized on his window at the 2003 US Open. Maybe he should have won more slams, but it does not taint the amazing career that Roddick has amassed. In the top 10 for a decade and 32 tour titles are not something to dismiss, but instead something to celebrate.

What I like most about Andy is that he would not make excuses for his career. He won a grand slam but simply lost to great players which kept him from multiple slams. So, as we look back on Roddick's career appreciate him as a champion and respect his professional approach to the game. Whether or not you agree with his game style or disputes with the media, Roddick was a professional who understood what it meant to prepare and work hard.

“I was pretty good for a long time,” Roddick said, when he was asked what he was most proud of. “The reason I gave earlier about not feeling like I could be committed to this thing a hundred percent, that's one of the things I'm proud of. That for 13 or 14 years, I was invested fully, every day. I've seen a lot of people throughout that time be invested for a year, kind of tap out for a year, come back. I've been pretty good about keeping my nose to the grindstone.” (heart speaks, Roddick listens)

This quote epitomizes another thing about Roddick I admire. Andy was a professional and understood the dedication, commitment, and hard work it takes to stay at the top of the game. How else was able to stay in the Top 10 for so long? So, while some want to poke holes in Roddick's career I say we appreciate it and learn from Andy Roddick to not make excuses for your results and to be a consistent professional.