At age 38, Novak Djokovic is the sole remaining member of the Big Three—a group that also included Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal—still competing actively. Although his current level may be slightly removed from the form that made him the all-time leader in Grand Slam tournament victories, his popularity among fans appears to be continuously climbing.
Ahead of the Serbian star’s debut at the ATP 250 in Athens, an event he actively champions, Boris Becker spoke about the unique global affection Djokovic has cultivated. Becker, a former German World No. 1, six-time Grand Slam champion, and Djokovic’s coach from 2013 to 2016, credited the difference to the player’s personal journey.
“He has a different spirit. He comes from a country that was at war and has had to overcome many obstacles to be where he is now,” Becker explained in an interview on the High Performance podcast. “Djokovic’s family history comes from a very complicated background, and overcoming all of this to win 24 Grand Slams and break all possible records is a result of his character, his personality“.
The German legend also suggested that Djokovic’s greatest praise is yet to come. “He has earned the respect he has always deserved. If he plays another year or two, he will become the most popular tennis player of all time, because the longer he stays on the court, the more people will realize who Novak really is,” Becker added.
Becker views Djokovic as family
The former World No. 1 endured a severe personal hardship when he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in 2022 for committing financial fraud related to his bankruptcy proceedings. During the podcast, Becker revealed that Djokovic was one of the very few people who offered him support during that challenging period.
“Novak was at Roland Garros, as the defending champion, and in his first press conference, he spoke well of me. He supported me, which I did not expect,” Becker revealed about Djokovic. “We are a family. In difficult times, you know who truly cares about you and who doesn’t. 95% of my friends forgot about me at that time, but he didn’t”.
What’s next for Djokovic?
The ATP 250 in Athens, which begins Monday, November 3rd, will feature Novak Djokovic advancing directly to the second round. His opponent will be the winner of the first-round match between Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo and Australia’s Adam Walton.