BIG BALLS
“To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul - would you understand why that's much harder?” - Howard Roark
Ever since I was corrupted at an early age by watching King Vidor's 'The Fountainhead' (1949), starring Gary Cooper, then later reading Rand's controversial book from which it was based I found myself pre-disposed to 'don't give a fuck' individualists, whether it be in art, sport or life in general.
In 'The Fountainhead', architect Howard Roark is being pressured and targeted by various planning boards and bureaucrats in order to comply with their rules and regulations which he steadfastly refuses to meet. He continues to pursue a life of absolute personal and professional integrity at all costs even when it means he's forced to exist on little money while he works at a marble quarry.
The sanctity of the strong minded individual versus the collectivist mob is, of course, an irresistible romantic narrative that goes all the way back to Socrates and continues very much to this day. It is one of the most potent tropes of all literature from Atticus Finch in 'To Kill A Mockingbird', to Winston Smith in '1984', to Randle McMurphy in 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'. The ability of brave men and women to stand up to suppressive, intolerant and authoritarian types is for me, the true definition of heroism. Unfortunately, in today's climate we live in a culture where many are overwhelmed by the pressure to kowtow to the mobs (online and offline) in all their various guises and iterations. I have become especially sensitive to the antics of groupthink and behaviours (after reading my Solzhenitsyn), recognising the unmistakable jackboot of collective compliance and rule even when it presents itself as being all tolerant and all loving.
It has been refreshing, then, to see Novak Djokovic once again upset the 'strawberries and cream' set at Wimbledon this week after calling out their disrespectful behaviour, allegedly disguising their boos by using his opponent's name. Though some have questioned whether this faction of the crowd were deliberately booing Djokovic, it seemed obvious to me that they were clearly seeking to provoke one of the greatest tennis players of all time who has long been a fly in the ointment of the establishment since his defiant stance on refusing Covid19 vaccines during the pandemic. Having been the epitome of mental and physical excellence in a gruelling sport for over two decades, it made complete sense for this world class athlete to refuse a foreign antigen being inserted into his body. It would have been the sporting equivalent to asking Hercules or Achilles to take a jab before they went to war.
'As I sat on Centre Court I thought there were some absolute jerks in the crowd booing Novak #Djokovic using the disguise of the name Rune… and sadly it became infectious,' - Sara Thornton (BBC Presenter)
With many people I have now talked to regretting their decision to unthinkingly stick vaccines into theirs and their children's arms, Djokovic perhaps uncomfortably reminds some of us of our inability to have taken a stand ourselves against the viral authoritarianism that spread so quickly during those insane times. In his pricking the conscience of the mad crowds and their unquestioning compliance, he temporarily become the villain of the moment in the eyes of those who judged him when history will ultimately record he was the hero. Djokovic is far more divisive a figure than the introverted Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal (who incidentally spoke out against Djokovic's vaccine stance) and yet I cannot entirely understand quite why. Until that is you frame his villain trajectory within the Covid19 narrative timeline where even the remotest of questioning dissent toward vaccines has been seen as ill informed or outright ignorance. Indeed, I was personally quite taken aback myself at friends and neighbours who appeared to enjoy being instructed how to behave in those years and who would keenly and almost giddily instruct others themselves as if they were an extension of the government and law establishment. Of course, there is having a civil duty to protect your fellow man, woman and child but when it rides roughshod over fundamental rights and agreements that go back hundreds of years all the way to 1689 it makes you think.
Even now when seeing people wearing masks in the middle of summer, I wonder if we really can truly assess the psychological long term damage of those Covid years which seems too have altered our society irrevocably in ways never seen before. Add to this increasing concerns about our personal freedoms in an age of mass surveillance and increasing state interference and the outfall from the pandemic was inevitably going to present huge moral and ethical dilemmas across the board as we continue to sleepwalk into our uncertain future, dazed and confused with our bruised, jabbed arms.
And yet, through that period of historic viral insanity, Djokovic remained uncompromising and much like Roarke at the end of Rand's novel, ended up having his sweet revenge by winning the 2023 Australian Open the year after being denied entry due to his refusal to be vaccinated. This victory was an especially significant achievement, as it tied him with Rafael Nadal for most Grand Slam titles in men's singles history, both having 22 titles at that time. Djokovic's ability to overcome the setback and triumph in the subsequent year highlighted his resilience and unrivalled dominance in the world of tennis.
Perhaps this strength of character has something to do with the shadow of war that played out during the tennis champion's younger years. With NATO's bombing of Serbia in 1999, Djokovic and his family frequently had to deal with the inevitable hardships of such perilous times including the constant bombing raids and sound of wailing air-raid sirens. The Yugoslav Wars had been a series of conflicts in the Balkans during 1991 to 2001 that had come about as a consequence of the breaking apart of Yugoslavia and NATO's campaign during 1999 was an especially traumatic period. Nonetheless, young Djokovic continued to train and pursue his life long dream of being a world champion tennis player, even practicing in an empty swimming pool that had been repurposed as a tennis court. It was due to these challenging times that Djokovic developed his unique mental toughness and determination. His commitment to training under such volatile circumstances no doubt explains his world beating discipline and focus later in his career.
Ayn Rand, author of 'The Fountainhead', was also shaped by war during the Russian Revolution of 1917 as the Bolshevik takeover resulted in the seizing of her father's pharmacy, plunging her family into poverty. The violent civil war in Russia clearly made a profound impression on Rand who became devoted to the belief that individuals who refuse to be beholden to the mob and collectivism are our true modern day heroes.
The upheaval and chaos that the revolution brought about cemented Rand's suspicion of communist philosophies and ideologies which quash individual liberty. By the time she left Russia to live in America (where she had initially gone to visit relatives only to soon determine that she would never return to her homeland again), she began to formalise her own principles in political writing and epic fiction works such as 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged'.
Of course, just like Djokovic, Rand has had her many critics who often accused her of having an inherent selfishness within her philosophical credo, but like Novak she laid out her beliefs and principles without apology and both the author and the tennis player have placed the highest value on protecting individual freedom.
It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in these days but those that do (like Djokovic) find there are greater rewards for remaining true to their convictions. For, as history has often proved, there are too many who have found strength in collective solidarity, not always realising until after the events that they have been unwitting victims of mass sociogenic illness, whether it was the Nazis rise to power, or China's Great Cultural Revolution, or more recently the Woke Mania of the West that began around 2010s onwards.
As for Novak, whether he adds another Wimbledon trophy to his abundant cabinet this weekend makes no difference to those who appreciated his principled stand during the pandemic years.
His legacy as both a legendary tennis player and a beacon of hope through dark times is assured.