Novak Djokovic Tim Clayton/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs
Novak Djokovic felt the presence of late good friend Kobe Bryant because the tennis professional took residence his twenty fourth Grand Slam title on the 2023 U.S. Open.
“It broke my coronary heart after I heard the information three years in the past, however his spirit was there final evening. I felt it,” Djokovic, 36, shared throughout a Monday, September 11, look on As we speak. “And 24 is the jersey that he wore when he turned a legend of the world basketball and Lakers, and I felt it was applicable to pay tribute to him with the twenty fourth Slam.”
Following his Males’s Ultimate victory over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, September 10, Djokovic sported a “Mamba Perpetually” shirt in honor of Bryant, who died on the age of 41 in January 2020 alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and 7 others. The tennis professional’s blue and yellow shirt featured an image of himself and Bryant, in addition to the quantity 24 on the again in honor of the basketball star’s iconic jersey quantity.
“Him and I have been shut. He was extraordinarily supportive and really sort and beneficiant to me after I was down and needed to endure a surgical procedure about six years in the past, and making an attempt to work my means up,” Djokovic continued on Monday. “I had a number of doubts, psychological challenges, and he was there for me. We had quite a few conversations in regards to the mentality, you understand, he was guiding me via the method. And I couldn’t be extra grateful to him and all the things he has performed for me, but in addition for athletes around the globe. His legacy lives endlessly.”
Kobe Bryant’s Life in Images
Gone too quickly. Kobe Bryant died on the age of 41 on January 26, 2020, however left behind fairly a legacy. The NBA star, in addition to his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a fiery helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The Los Angeles County Sheriff confirmed there have been 9 folks on board the helicopter that […]
In a separate post-match interview on Sunday, Djokovic revealed he had the concept of sporting the memorial T-shirt for his twenty fourth Grand Slam win for some time earlier than bringing it to life. “I didn’t share it with anybody till just a few days in the past after I requested my folks to assist me out to make these shirts,” he stated on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart in Queens, New York.
He went on to state that Bryant “was at all times there for any type of council recommendation, any type of assist, in probably the most pleasant means.”
Days after Bryant’s demise, Djokovic honored his good friend following his quarterfinal win on the 2020 Australian Open. “He was my mentor, my good friend, and it’s simply heartbreaking to see and to listen to what has occurred to him and his daughter,” he stated earlier than breaking into tears.
Novak Djokovic and Spouse Jelena Djokovic’s Relationship Timeline
Karwai Tang/WireImage Novak Djokovic and spouse Jelena Djokovic are highschool sweethearts — however sustaining a relationship as a tennis star isn’t at all times straightforward. “Us getting collectively was like science fiction virtually,” Jelena instructed Howdy! journal in June 2023. “I used to be a pupil barely getting by, and he was a really younger tennis participant who […]
In January 2020, a helicopter flight from Los Angeles carrying Bryant, Gianna, pilot Ara Zobayan, baseball coach John Altobelli, his spouse, Kerri, their daughter Alyssa, basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton, crashed lower than an hour after takeoff in Calabasas. Bryant is survived by his spouse, Vanessa, and their daughters Natalia, 20, Bianaka, 6, and Capri, 4.
Djokovic, for his half, shares son Stefan, 8, and daughter Tara, 6, along with his spouse, Jelena, whom he married in 2014. Sunday’s match marked the athlete’s fourth U.S. Open Grand Slam win, having beforehand performed so in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
