NYT: It's Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon; don't roll your eyes

"The fiery star's march toward history could force his detractors into an uncomfortable position: giving him his due," the NYT said.

The author, Kurt Streeter, listed all Djokovic's records, including a better score in the head-to-head matches against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He added that if Serbia's player won the Wimbledon title this year, that "would give him his 20th major title, tying him at long last with Federer and Nadal. It would also keep alive his quest to win four majors in a single year, the Grand Slam, something not achieved on the men's side in 52 years.

"Here's why the haters, and those simply unmoved by his ascent, should give Djokovic reconsideration," the NYT's journalist wrote, listing Djokovic's minimalist approach, adding he was not a robot, but a Houdini.

Streeter also numbered Djokovic's flaws which, as he said, "redeem him."

"Yes, he can erupt, shattering rackets, barking like a petulant child at himself, his coaches, umpires and peers," he said, recalling last year's tournaments in Serbia and Croatia during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, which gave him a bad image.

"His flaws, and the openness with which he reveals his interior life, make him more interesting than his near-perfect, more restrained peers," the author said, adding, "without him, tennis would be a monotonous duopoly.