Just after winning his 24th grand slam, Novak Djokovic paid an adorable tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. The Lakers great wore the same number during his Hall of Fame career. The shirt read "Mamba Forever" along with pictures of Bryant and Djokovic.
Bryant was a close friend and Djokovic often shared his mental state with him, especially during his injury days. “Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality when I was struggling with injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game,” Djokovic said. “He was one of the people that I relied on the most.”
Bryant died in 2020 in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
“He was always there for any kind of counsel, advice, any kind of support in the most friendly way,” Djokovic continued. “So of course what happened a few years ago and him and his daughter passing hurt me deeply, and I thought 24 is the jersey he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball, so I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all the things he’s done.”
During the U.S. Open final Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev engaged each other in a 32-stroke point. It was among many such elongated exchanges between two men whose styles are nearly mirror images, and Djokovic capitulated by netting a backhand. He fell to his back and stayed down, chest heaving. The crowd roared. Djokovic sat up but remained on the ground for a bit. The crowd roared some more, appreciating the effort and saluting the entertainment.
Using every ounce of his energy and some serve-and-volley guile — an old man with new tricks — Djokovic emerged for a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Medvedev at Flushing Meadows to claim a historic 24th Grand Slam title on Sunday night in a match more closely contested than the straight-set score indicated.
First Published: Sept 11, 2023 10:43 AM IST
