Inviting Novak Djokovic to her home remains the biggest wish for this 82-year-old Serbian fan who’s medically forbidden to watch Nole play
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Novak Djokovic and Petra Besermenja (Image Credits: Kurir TV)
Novak Djokovic is a global icon and his trophy cabinet justifies the statement. The former World No. 1 is a winner of 21 Grand Slam titles, the second most by any man in singles, and by the looks of it, it’s pretty evident that he will be adding a few more to the tally.
Djokovic can be credited for single-handedly bringing Serbia on the tennis map as he asserted his dominance in the sport during the decade of 2010s. The Serbian superstar won 16 Grand Slam titles from 2011 to 2021 and broke a plethora of records simultaneously making his case to be always held in contention for the GOAT debate.
Djokovic’s success has made him a global icon and possibly the most important personality in Serbia. Djokovic makes an effort to interact with his fans as much as possible but for one particular Serbian fan, meeting him remains her biggest wish as doctors have advised her not to watch him play.
As reported by Kurir Sports, Petra Besermenja is an 82-year-old die-hard Djokovic fan hailing from Sremska Mitrovica city in Serbia. Besermenja had a close shave with death in 2018 when watching Nole lose in a match literally gave her a heart attack. Admitted to the hospital, it was the murmuring of the other people telling her that Djokovic has won and she was brought back to life.
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Petra Besermenja hopes Novak Djokovic avenges his last year’s insult by winning the 2023 Australian Open
Speaking to Kurir Sports, Besermenja recalled the difficult moment of her life when she suffered a heart attack. “I knew he was playing against a strong opponent. That’s why I was worried that he wouldn’t lose. When he started to lose suddenly, when he got to 2:2, something in me was disturbed. I turned off the TV and laid down. Soon it started to tighten between my shoulders.”
She did not inform the doctors what possibly caused the problem for her. “I heard people talking in the rooms that he won, and then it was easy for me. I could even stand up,” remembered Besermenja. Doctors eventually found out the cause and have now advised her to not watch Djokovic play as the excitement could be too much for her to handle. She now only hopes to meet Djokovic in person and fulfill her wish.
Speaking of her desire to host the 21-time major winner at her home, Besermenja said, “I would tell him that dear God and Holy Father Nikola would help him win again in Australia. They (the Australian government) kept him last time as an asylum seeker, I cried that such a man is kept behind bars. I would like him to win the most, to come see us and drink champagne.”
While Djokovic is yet to respond to the sweet invite, knowing his love and admiration for his fans, it won’t be a surprise if he actually takes out time to visit his fan. The Serb returns to action at the upcoming 2022 World Tennis League in Dubai before heading to Australia to start the 2023 season.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)