The Gentle side of Greatness: Djokovic’s Touching Recognition of compatriots Achievement…Read more

The Gentle side of Greatness:
Djokovic’s Touching Recognition of compatriots Achievement…Read more

Tennis has long been a sport where young talents make a name for themselves on the tour. A prime example is Coco Gauff, who at just 15, famously defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon, marking the start of her ascent. Similarly, yesterday, another rising star made headlines: 23-year-old Olga Danilovic claimed the biggest title of her career. She earned praise from her fellow Serbian, Novak Djokovic, after her impressive win over Caroline Dolehide in the Guangzhou Open final, securing her first WTA title of the year. Danilovic dominated the tournament, losing just one set and ultimately winning the final 6-3, 6-1. The victory propelled her to 52nd in the WTA rankings, bringing her within reach of the top 50.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, congratulated Danilovic on Instagram, sharing a photo of her holding the trophy and adding a series of supportive emojis. Djokovic has been an inspiration to Danilovic since her childhood. In a recent interview, she shared how watching Djokovic play as a child inspired her to take up tennis. “I was watching Novak Djokovic on TV… I thought it could be a nice sport, so I tried it,” she recalled.

In the same interview, she spoke about her admiration for Djokovic, calling him her lifelong idol: “He was my idol and will be my idol forever… Everyone should have the passion he always shows.” Earlier this season, she fulfilled a personal dream by partnering with Djokovic at the United Cup, where they defeated China’s Qinwen Zheng and Zhizhen Zhang in mixed doubles. Reflecting on the experience, she expressed her admiration for Djokovic, saying, “Playing with him was a bucket list moment… He’s the greatest of all time.”

Following her success in Guangzhou, Danilovic was scheduled to compete in the Jiangxi Open but withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. She hopes to carry her momentum into her next tournaments.