Novak Djokovic has been on the ATP tour for over 18 years now. Over those years, he has grown from a rising young star to an experienced veteran with 19 Grand Slam victories and has firmly cemented himself at the top. In addition to that, the World No. 1 continues to set an example for the next generation of tennis players.
After his semifinal victory at Wimbledon, Djokovic carried out an act of sportsmanship which his wife, Jelena Djokovic, appreciated on Twitter.
Jelena Djokovic touched by Novak Djokovic consoling Denis Shapovalov after Wimbledon semifinal
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The World No. 1 punched his ticket to his seventh final at Wimbledon after beating 10th-seeded Shapovalov. Although the first set went to a tie-break, the Serb sealed a straight sets victory in yesterday’s semifinal. The match ended with a score of 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 7-5.
After the 2 hour-44 minutes match, the top seed spent time with Shapovalov. Despite the Canadian putting up a fight in his first Grand Slam semifinal, he couldn’t take it one step further. Recently, the World No. 12 revealed the words he exchanged with Djokovic while appreciating him.
He said,?“He came up to me in the locker room. Told me he knows how difficult it is for me right now but that it’ll all come along. He doesn’t have to do it, it’s very nice from him to do it. He isn’t praised enough.”
Awww, I’m touched. He surely didn’t forget those tough moments, when you lose a big one. Glad he is stopping to relate to future champs of the sport. 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/JjQgevZ24n
— Jelena Djokovic (@jelenadjokovic) July 9, 2021
Djokovic’s wife Jelena showed how proud she was of her husband by adding words of her own to Shapovalov’s comments. She said,?“Awww, I?m touched. He surely didn?t forget those tough moments, when you lose a big one. Glad he is stopping to relate to future champs of the sport.”
Although Djokovic has 19 Grand Slam victories, he has also lost 10 Grand Slam finals. While he dominates on the court, such actions from the World No. 1 definitely demand praise while giving motivation to the next generation of tennis players.
Can Djokovic continue his march towards a Golden Slam?
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The World No. 1 has dropped just one set at Wimbledon this year en route to the final. Only Matteo Berrettini stands between him and his 20th career Grand Slam this Sunday.
Given he beat Berrettini in the French Open quarterfinal earlier this year, Djokovic looks to be the favorite. Should the Serbian win his third Grand Slam on July 11, he gets one step closer to a Golden Slam with the Tokyo Olympics and US Open coming up one after the other.
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While his fitness levels and excellent shot-making keep him above the rest, Djokovic certainly has what it takes to make history.
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