Oviri Kelvin, Sports Editor, Abuja
World Number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has made known that his son supported the men’s Australian Open winner, Rafael Nadal in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
The Spaniard’s 21st grand slam win in Australia has moved him a step above Djokovic and Roger Federer in their numbers of grand slam titles won.
Naval defeated Medvedev in a five-set win while Serb Djokovic who watched the contest from Serbia having been denied visa into Australia due to his unvaccinated coronavirus status a day before the tournament revealed that while his wife supported Medvedev, his son cheered for Nadal.
He agreed that viewing the match was terrible after being denied a visa to participate in the tournament but was made horrific by his son who cheered for Nadal.
According to an exclusive interview with Metro.co.uk, Djokovic said he was unbiased as he watched the contest because he was dejected about not being part of the tournament.
He said, ‘‘I found it so difficult to watch,’ Djokovic told the BBC.
‘‘I was very neutral, I didn’t cheer for anyone because I wanted to be there so badly. But I was amused by the circumstances.
‘‘My wife was cheering for Medvedev, my son was cheering for Nadal, and every point that Rafa would make, Stefan would be jumping around,’’ he said.
Nevertheless, Djokovic said his son who longs to get a portrait with Nadal proposes that both tennis players meet against each other in the next tournament.
He said, ‘‘He asked me a few days ago when I was putting him to sleep: “When is the next tournament that you are going to participate and play where Rafa is going to be also?”
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“I said: “I’m not sure, I hope very soon, why are you asking me that?” And he said: “Because I would love to take a photo with Rafael,” the Serb added.
Djokovic’s future participation in other Grand Slam tournaments has been subjected to speculation as the World Number tennis player is indifferent towards taking the covid19 jabs.
He added that he will continue to play the game he had loved right from his childhood while denouncing the notion that surpassing Nadal’s grand slam record is his propeller.
Djokovic continues, ‘‘I’ve been blessed with some amazing results that I’ve made throughout my career.
“I hope that I can continue to make and break records in the future, but it’s not the most essential thing.
“I play tennis because I still feel a connection with the inner child, the four-year-old boy who took a racquet and said, I love this sport, I want to play it all day,” he concluded.
The 34 years old Serbian, in clear terms during an interview with BBC recently, noted that missing out in future tennis tournaments over his refusal to take the coronavirus’s vaccine is a price he is willing to pay.
