Novak Djokovic has shot up the rankings to become one of the big 3 players of this era in tennis. After Rafael Nadal, he is the man with the second-most Grand Slam singles titles, with 21.

But lately, the 35-year-old has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Djokovic has continued taking a firm stance against the COVID-19 vaccination and received significant backlash. However, in an interview, a Russian-born Kazakhstan player hailed him as an extraordinary player.

Alexandr Bublik lauds Novak Djokovic on his excellency as a player

Recently, in September 2022, Alexandr Bublik was seen in a conversation with CLAY in New York. The interview was about his life, how his father controlled his tennis career, etc. During the interview, there was an instance when the host asked who was cool among Roger Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. To which he replied honestly by saying, “Lets be honest, I didn’t spend so much time with Roger, Rafa neither. So for me the coolest is Novak.”

He further echoed his statement by saying, “Yeah, not much time with Roger. When I arrived he was already quiting, not playing much. With Novak we talk a lot since Covid started. I wouldn’t say he is cool, he is 35 years old, he cannot be cool at 35 years old and father of two. He is a good gentleman, proud tennis player and proud father and he is great for the sport.”

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In fact, earlier in the conversation, the 25-year-old Bublik mentioned Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov as chilled-out types and cool players. But later, when the host asked him to compare players like Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, was when Bublik felt otherwise.

Unfortunate news for Djokovic’s fans

After missing out on a chance to defend his Australian Open title this year, Novak Djokovic was ready to return to the tennis scene. There were reports that the government of Australia had decided to introduce some changes that would make it easier for countries to allow athletes who have not been vaccinated.

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This, in return, would have helped the nine-time Australian Open winner add another tally to his kitty. However, as per the latest developments, Karen Andrews, Australia’s shadow Home Affairs Minister, believes that allowing Novak Djokovic would be unfair to those who acted responsibly during the pandemic. As per the recent developments, it seems unlikely that the Australian government would allow Djokovic to take part in the prestigious event.