Novak Djokovic Gains Support from Virat Kohli in Wimbledon Showdown
In a thrilling fourth-round match at Wimbledon, tennis great Novak Djokovic received an unexpected cheer from Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli. Djokovic, who made a remarkable comeback against Australia’s Alex de Minaur, took a moment to thank Kohli for his words of encouragement shared on Instagram.
Kohli, impressed by Djokovic’s determination on Centre Court, praised him as a “gladiator” after witnessing his impressive turnaround. Djokovic faced a tough start, losing the first set, but fought back to win the match with scores of 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. De Minaur initially appeared in control, even leading 4-1 in the fourth set, but Djokovic quickly shifted the momentum, winning five consecutive games to secure his place in the quarterfinals.
“What a win! It was business as usual for the gladiator,” Kohli posted on his Instagram story, accompanied by a clip of the match.
In response, Djokovic expressed his appreciation with a simple message: “Thank you for supporting.” He shared that he and Kohli have communicated over the years but have yet to meet in person. Djokovic admires Kohli’s accomplishments and joked about needing to improve his cricket skills before visiting India.
At 38, Djokovic marked a significant milestone by becoming only the third player to achieve 100 wins at Wimbledon, joining legends Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer. He is now on the quest for his 25th Grand Slam title, which would break Margaret Court’s record and tie him with Federer for the most Wimbledon wins among men at eight.
“I’m still trying to process what happened during the match,” Djokovic reflected after the game. He acknowledged that it was a rough start but was pleased with his ability to stay focused and win.
The Serb will advance to the quarterfinals for the 16th time, where he will compete against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.
