"Hopefully I'll meet Virat Kohli soon and play some tennis and cricket": Novak Djokovic
London, June 28
Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic on Saturday revealed that although he and Indian batting heavyweight Virat Kohli have never met in person, they have stayed connected for years through messages and social media, supporting and admiring each other's careers.
Djokovic said he hopes to finally meet Kohli, play tennis and cricket together, and hinted that the meeting could happen during his planned visit to India.
"We have not met in person, we have texted, we have been in touch for the last few years, following each other, supporting each other, admiring each other's careers - hopefully I will get a chance to meet him in person & play some tennis, play some cricket - I am also planning to come to India soon so maybe that's where we can get the link up," said Djokovic on Kohli.
Djokovic will next be in action at Wimbledon, where he has been drawn in the same half as defending champion Jannik Sinner. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz is set for a blockbuster opening-round clash against Jack Draper in one of the standout matches of the tournament's first round.
Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion chasing his 25th Grand Slam title, is aiming to break his major title drought, with his last title being the US Open 2023.
Djokovic, a seventh seed, will start off against Wu Yibing and could play Stefanos Tsitsipas or Hugo Gaston in round two, Arthur Rinderknech in the third round, Andrey Rublev or Brazilian Joao Fonseca in the fourth round, and third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals if he keeps winning.
The main draw of the tournament runs from June 29 to July 12.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a tennis fan from Canada, I love seeing cross-sport friendships like this. Djokovic is so classy and Kohli is a legend. Hope Novak's India visit happens soon - would be great for Indian tennis too.
Wow, didn't know they were in touch since years! This is the kind of sportsmanship we need more of. Kohli's dedication and Djokovic's mental strength - they're cut from the same cloth. Would love to see them play cricket together, imagine Novak trying to face a Kohli delivery! 😄
Djokovic is chasing history with that 25th Grand Slam. But honestly, I hope he doesn't get distracted by celebrity meetups. He needs to focus on Wimbledon first - Sinner is looking dangerous this year.
Brilliant to see global icons appreciating Indian sports stars. Kohli has truly put Indian cricket on the world map beyond just the game. And Djokovic - the man is a machine. 25 Slams is no joke. Hope they meet in India, would be a massive boost for sports culture here.
From Australia - always great to see champions respecting each other. Djokovic is a legend but I think he's underestimating the younger generation. Sinner and Alcaraz are nobody's pushovers. Let's see if he can actually break that title drought first before planning celebrity hangouts.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.