Former tennis ace Nikola Pilic pays tribute to Novak Djokovic, calls him “the best of all time”
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Novak Djokovic and Nikola Pilic
Novak Djokovic was unable to cope with the prolonged pressure from Andrey Rublev after winning three matches in the lead-up to the final in Belgarde after dropping the first set. Djokovic won the second set in a tiebreaker after losing the first set because of the adrenaline boost. In the third set, though, the Serb ran out of steam, and Rublev bageled him to claim his third title of the 2022 season.
A teary-eyed Nikola Pilic paid tribute to Novak Djokovic
Despite losing in the final of the Serbian Open in Belgrade to Andrey Rublev due to a major decline in the third set, Novak Djokovic had planned to honour various people who have been important to him since the start of his career at the awards ceremony. Marian Vajda, his former and devoted coach with whom he won his 20 Grand Slam championships, and Nikola Pilic, his former mentor when he was 12, were both Davis Cup winners together in 2010, when the Croatian coach was captain, against France in Belgrade.
And while speaking at the stadium microphone, the former Roland Garros finalist in 1973 could not hold back his tears, but he did have time to pay tribute to the current world number one: “You are not one of the best players of all time, you are THE best player of all time,” said Pilic, who is known as “Mr. Tennis” to a captivated Serbian audience.
What’s next for Novak Djokovic?
Despite losing the Serbian Open final to Rublev, the World No. 8, Novak Djokovic is looking for the silver lining. He considers it an encouraging omen since he won three consecutive matches after dropping the first set. Will Djokovic be able to regroup and reclaim his mojo in the forthcoming tournaments in Madrid and Rome before the French Open? Only time will tell.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)