NEW YORK: After his US Open title win, which also marks his 24th Grand Slam triumph, the Serbian tennis legend paid tribute to late Basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
Djokovic levelled with Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles after securing the US Open title, beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in an extremely fatiguing final in New York on Sunday night.
After the game finished and he shook hands with his opponent, Djokovic put on a blue-coloured shirt saying ‘Mamba Forever’. ‘Mamba’ was one of Kobe’s nicknames. The number 24 at the back of the shirt was also Kobe’s jersey number.
Novak hits 24 and pays tribute to the late Kobe Bryant ???? pic.twitter.com/rDXVUvYe1Z
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
Djokovic said that he had thought of paying the tribute on winning the tournament. He added that Kobe was a close friend and they discussed “winner’s mentality” during Djokovic’s time away from the game due to injury.
“I thought of doing this T-shirt eventually if I got the chance to win the tournament. It was about seven days ago. I did not share it with anyone until a few days ago when I asked my people to help me out to make this shirt,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony as quoted by ATP.
“Kobe was a close, close friend. We chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality when I was struggling with an injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game.”
“He was always there for any kind of counsel advice, any kind of support in the most friendly way. So, of course, what happened a few years ago, him and his daughter passing, hurt me deeply and I thought 24 is the jersey that he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball. So I thought it could be a nice symbolic thing to acknowledge him,” he concluded.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine people killed when a helicopter they were travelling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas on January 26, 2020.
The basketball legend had won five NBA championships in his 20-year-long career while playing for Los Angeles Lakers from 1996-2016.
Coming to the match, Djokovic beat Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3.
With this, the 36-year-old won his third Grand Slam of the year after the Australian Open and French Open.
Also, Djokovic has avenged the loss to Medvedev in the title clash of the US Open 2021.
Despite fatigue, Djokovic captured his fourth US Open title after winning it in 2011, 2015 and 2018. The tennis star will return to the top of the ATP Rankings on Monday after a tough 104-minute second set, which saw him save a set point and surge to a win. He is also at the top of the ATP Live Rankings right now.
He has won three Major titles three times before as well, in 2011, 2015 and 2021. (ANI)