Not Alcaraz or Sinner, Virat Kohli wants his FRIEND to win Wimbledon 2025. Guess who?

Former India captain Virat Kohli has backed 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic to win the Wimbledon 2025 men's singles title. The Indian stalwart, who shares a close bond with the 'gladiator,' is hopeful Djokovic can go all the way and lift his eighth Wimbledon crown. Novak recently made history by joining an elite list to have a century of wins (singles) at the SW19. Novak Djokovic became only the third player in Wimbledon history to reach 100 victories after Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer.

Speaking to an official broadcaster from the iconic Centre Court, Kohli praised Djokovic’s hard work and called him a deserving champion. “Look, I've been in touch with Novak for a while now. We've exchanged some messages. He's been incredibly gracious and kind to stay in touch,” Kohli said.

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“So, I'd say I want Novak and Carlos to be in the final, and ideally for Novak to win this one because that would be a tremendous achievement for him at this stage of his career. And, you know, in the comparison or conversation about being the greatest of all time, he'd be right up there with anyone else, if not number one with the maximum number of grand slam titles. He deserves it. Given the amount of hard work he's put in, I hope he plays Carlos in the final and wins.” Kohli added while speaking to the broadcaster

Kohli was at Centre Court on Monday (Jul 7) to watch Djokovic play in the Round of 16 against Australia’s Alex de Minaur. It was a star-studded evening with Roger Federer, Joe Root and James Anderson in the house. Djokovic overcame a first-set defeat to beat de Minaur with the scoreline: 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and advanced to his 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal. He will now face 23-year-old Italian Flavio Cobolli in the last eight on Wednesday (Jul 9). After the match, Kohli called Djokovic a 'gladiator of the sport ' in an Instagram post.

Kohli picks Sabalenka as the ladies' champion

Kohli also shared his pick for the ladies' singles title, backing Wimbledon seed No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to take the crown home. “She seems like the favourite now. She’s got the game and she’s got the aggression. I think she’s going to be tough to beat,” he added.