Tennis: Novak Djokovic gets EMOTIONAL as fans welcome him to Serbia after 24th grand slam win - WATCH
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after defeating USA's Taylor Fritz during the US Open.
Novak Djokovic has cemented his place as one of the greatest tennis players ever to play the sport after his latest grand slam win in the US Open 2023. This was the Serbian national's record-equaling 24th grand slam victory, putting him equal to the great Margaret Court. The Serb beat Daniil Medvedev in the US Open 2023 final on September 11 for his latest silverware.
Among men, the 36-year-old is clearly the world leader with Rafael Nadal behind him having won 22 grand slams. The win also was celebrated by the whole of Serbia with much zeal as they welcomed their undisputed hero along with the Serbian National Basketball team which had won the silver medal at the recently concluded FIBA World Cup.
Both, the basketball team and Djokovic were part of the famous Belgrade Balcony Celebrations and the athletes, including Djokovic, welled up looking at the love and admiration received from the fans. A visibly emotional Djokovic thanked the fans for their support and called the win not only his but of the entire nation. Have a look at the video here:
Djokovic honours Kobe after winning US Open
Kobe Bryant, a former basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the USA's National Basketball Association (NBA), died in a helicopter crash in 2020. Djokovic and Bryant, who wore the no. 24 shirt for most of his career, were close friends. So after the win, Djokovic put on a shirt that said 'Mamba Forever' on the front and read no. 24 on the back in purple. Djokovic, while talking about the idea of honouring Kobe, said it came to him about a week ago.
Kobe is considered one of the most iconic players in NBA history and his 'Mamba Forever' mentality still echoes among players. in 2020, Kobe, along with his daughter Ginna and seven others, perished in a tragic helicopter crash.
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