Djokovic’s 24 and his dedication to ‘Mamba’

“Kobe Bryant triumphed with the number 24 on his back, so I had this shirt made as a tribute to my friend who remembers. Mamba (Kobe Bryant),” he declared excitedly Nola after his undisputed victory at the United States Open.

Melbourne, Paris and New York witnessed the spectacular tennis exhibitions of the Balkans in 2023.

No more problems with COVID vaccines and certificates! This year, the Serbian right-hander confirmed his endless talent and mental resilience on the court. Adding $10.5 million in prizes from January to date.

Only Wimbledon got out of his control, in that epic final in which Carlos Alcaraz won. Otherwise, we would be talking about the fact that in addition to matching Margaret Court’s historic record of 24 Grand Slams, she was very close to winning four majors in the current season to join the select club of the legendary Don Budge (1937) and Rod Laver ( 1962 and 1969).

At 37, the world No. 1 plays like a 20-year-old, displaying commendable elasticity, stamina and speed. All this contributed to the hunger for victory worthy of a rookie.

Sunday’s US Open grand final against Russia’s Medvedev makes it clear that he is still above the level of other tennis players, except for Alcaraz and if Rafa Nadal decides to return in the coming months.

Despite all his efforts, especially in the second set matchesThe 27-year-old Medvedev could not stop his legendary opponent at the giant, ultra-modern Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Djokovic took a check for 3 million dollars, and the Muscovite another for 1.5 million dollars. The US Open is the Grand Slam event that hands out the most prizes with a record number of 65 million.

But the unexpected gesture of creating a T-shirt with the image of Kobe and his daughter Giana, who died suddenly three years ago, was undoubtedly the icing on the cake in a true celebration of the best racketeer on the planet. (OR)

South American qualifiers 2026