News Today: Novak Djokovic faces heartbreak after death of former coach; Naomi Osaka strikes back at online troll calling her a “fluke,” and more

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic expressed grief over the death

Meanwhile, a tennis insider criticized the ATP for scheduling Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the Shanghai Masters just under 48 hours after the China Open final. Frances Tiafoe commended Derrick Rose’s transition to a motivational speaker for kids following his NBA career.

On that note, here’s a recap of today’s top tennis news:

Novak Djokovic pays tribute to late coach Jovan Lilic

Novak Djokovic has reacted to the passing of his former coach Jovan Lilic, who played a key role in Serbia’s 2010 Davis Cup win and coached the 24-time Grand Slam champion to his first Olympic bronze medal at the Beijing Games. Lilic also achieved significant milestones at the European Championships.

of his former coach Jovan Lilic. In other news, Naomi Osaka defended herself after a troll called her a “fluke”.

The Tennis Federation of Serbia confirmed the sad news (via Telegraf):

“Jovan is survived by generations of tennis players whom he led as a personal and club coach. He was the national team coach in the U18 category, as well as the coach of the Davis Cup team of Serbia. His contribution to the development of tennis in Serbia cannot be overestimated. Our sympathies are with the Lilic family.”

Djokovic later conveyed his grief by posting about the loss on his Instagram story.

Novak Djokovic is set to make his comeback at the Shanghai Masters after five years, marking his tenth appearance at the Masters 1000 tournament, where he has previously won four titles in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018

Fourth-seeded Djokovic received a bye into the second round where he will take on either 28th-seed Flavio Cobolli or wildcard Stan Wawrinka.

Read More: Novak Djokovic heartbroken by death of former coach Jovan Lilic

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Naomi Osaka shuts down troll after being branded a “fluke”

Naomi Osaka reacted angrily after an online troll called her a “fluke.” Since returning from maternity leave earlier this year, Osaka has struggled on the WTA Tour, making it to only two quarterfinals in 16 tournaments.

On Threads, Osaka shared the troll’s insult and responded by highlighting her career accomplishments and stressing that the troll could never come close to achieving the same, saying they wouldn’t even reach them with their “fingernail.”

“I just saw someone call me a fluke. How is it possible to be a fluke with 4 grand slams, lighting the Olympic torch, beating multiple top 20 opponents and being close to top 50 the year after giving birth? Foh, you couldn’t even touch one of my accomplishments with your fingernail,” Osaka wrote.