Novak Djokovic has never hidden his passion for the world of sports and has always shown interest in the stories of the best athletes in the world. The Serbian has repeatedly spoken about his idols and the athletes who have decisively influenced his career on the Tour and have contributed to forging part of his incredible mental strength.
During the 2020 Australian Open, a few days after Kobe Bryant’s death, the Belgrade man tearfully revealed that he had trusted the American legend multiple times. “I really don’t know what to say, I was surprised by the news.
He was one of the best athletes in history, an inspiration to me and many other people in the world. Kobe helped me through a difficult moment, we had seen and talked to each other on more than one occasion. I have been lucky to have a personal relationship with him for the last 10 years.» Djokovic also had the opportunity to share various experiences with Diego Armando Maradona, who passed away on November 25, 2020.
In an exclusive interview with Tennis Majors, the Serb spoke about his biggest sources of inspiration. “Many athletes have influenced me over the years. I have spoken several times about Kobe Bryant. I also knew Diego Armando Maradona well.
We talked many times about life and sport and he gave me some important advice. The same goes for Michael Jordan. If we talk about tennis: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Boris Becker. The last two were also my trainers. I value the history of each athlete and everything that the greats of the past have done to make this sport a global phenomenon.
Djokovic shares a great relationship with some of the stars in the NBA.
Bresnik opens up about Djokovic
Very discreet in the media for a few months now, the famous Austrian coach, Gunter Bresnik, whose association with Gaël Monfils continues to seem relevant despite the Parisian’s inactivity, spoke out on various issues a few days before the start of the ‘Australian Open’ .
And inevitably, the name of Novak Djokovic was not long in coming up. “The year 2022 was marked by his absence where he was effectively prohibited from practicing his profession. I don’t want to judge if it was correct or not.
In any case, he lives for his cause, he wants to become the best player of all time. And he is already one of the greatest of all time with such toughness of mind. Also, his popularity rating is low and he really wants to change that.»
