When triumph slips through fingers and dreams are put on hold, a nation’s heart aches. A few days ago, we saw Novak Djokovic squeeze out an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time in his career, making his country, Serbia, proud of him! Naturally, all the Serbians hoped that their basketball team at the Games would be able to pull off a same feat. But even after coming quite close to winning, the U.S.A. team established their supremacy over the Serbian team in the semifinals. Witnessing this heartbreaking moment, Djokovic’s wife, Jelena, stepped forward to uplift her nation’s basketball heroes!

“We are proud,” Djokovic’s wife wrote on August 9th, on her X handle with a picture of Nikola Jokic putting the ball in the basket. 

Serbia, the underdog, nearly pulled off a stunning upset against the star-studded Team USA, giving the heavily favored Americans a serious run for their money. It was indeed a memorable match for both countries, especially after the U.S.A. narrowly avoided a loss against Serbia with a score of 95-91. But it is fair to say that the Serbian team was too close to defeating the USA for the first time at the Olympics since 2004. 

Although they couldn’t achieve the victory, Jokic, a three-time MVP champion’s incredible performance at the Games was a spectacular display of his powerful skills. But it was their opponent team, led by Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, who overpowered them to reach the gold medal game, where they will play against France. On the other hand, the Serbian team will continue with their aim of bringing home a bronze medal as they face Germany in their next match. 

The men’s basketball team secured a silver medal last time when they played in 2016 Summer Olympics. However, the gut-wrenching loss, this year was indeed a hard pill to swallow for the Serbians, especially after witnessing Djokovic’s amazing performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the final match in Paris. However, Jelena’s gesture transcended sports, highlighting the unity and shared passion of the Serbian community. Not only her, even Djokovic himself shared his reaction after the disappointing loss on social media.

Djokovic’s love for basketball is no secret to anyone. We saw a glimpse of that earlier this year at LA Lakers Stadium too, when he shared his basketball skills and even scored a point during a special video on Instagram. “Not too bad ha?” he captioned the video, tagging LeBron James.

Although he might be a Michael Jordan and James fan, his heart ached more for the loss of his Serbian team at the Olympics. Therefore, he paid a special tribute to the team by putting up an emotional Bogdan Bogdanovic’s (a member of his nation’s team) picture on his Instagram story. While Djokovic and his wife were busy consoling Team Serbia and its player, the American former tennis player Mardy Fish poked fun at the Serb!

Fish takes shot at Djokovic amid Serbian heartbreak

Former tennis pro Mardy Fish engaged in a playful yet contentious exchange with Djokovic’s fervent fanbase. Capitalizing on the thrilling USA-Serbia basketball match, Fish took to social media to jokingly inquire about the outcome, tagging Djokovic for a lighthearted jab,

“Yo @DjokerNole I didn’t catch the end of the [USA flag] vs [Serbian flag] Basketball game. Who ended up winning that?”  he tweeted. However, his attempt at humor backfired as he was met with a barrage of defensive responses from Djokovic’s loyal supporters, who argued that Serbia’s performance constituted a moral victory.

Undeterred, Fish playfully retorted by expressing admiration for Djokovic’s immense fan following while also sharing a screenshot of a threatening message he received, showcasing his ability to laugh off the online animosity. “Btw, I want one fan like Novak has millions!” he tweeted, adding laughing emojis. Novak’s fans have a reputation for being fiercely loyal, and Fish just experienced that firsthand.

The 37-year-old player, who spent some time with Jokic earlier this year, was deeply saddened by this loss. These heartfelt messages underscore the strong bond within the Serbian sports family, demonstrating that even in defeat, national pride and unity prevail.