Novak Djokovic shares his excitement upon meeting Lionel Messi and other PSG stars, thanks Neymar for special gesture

World's top tennis player finds motivation and inspiration from PSG's thrilling match and unforgettable meeting with Neymar and Messi

Novak Djokovic shares his excitement upon meeting Lionel Messi and other PSG stars, thanks Neymar for special gesture

Novak Djokovic, Lionel Messi and Neymar (Images via Purepeople and Insider)

Novak Djokovic has swiftly made his way into the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open after a victory against Juan Pablo Varillas in the 4th round. Djokovic, who is an avid football follower, attended a PSG match at the Parc des Princes with his kids. PSG’s Clermont was in that match. Djokovic shared the experience of meeting Messi and Neymar, both of whom played for PSG at the time.

“It was my first time meeting them in person – they are great champions, it was a pleasure and an honor to meet them, especially Messi, a player who left an extraordinary mark in the history of football, “ said Djokovic. The Serb was especially honored to see the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Champion Lionel Messi. Both Messi and Djokovic are arguably the greatest of all time in their respective sports and their meeting, although brief, was nothing short of iconic.

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Tara who is  Djokovic’s daughter was really excited to meet Neymar and the Brazilian later signed her jersey. Tara does not follow any sport but is a fan of Neymar for a particular reason explained Djokovic. “Neymar signed Tara’s jersey, but it’s an interesting story. She doesn’t follow sports much, but she has a school friend who is half Brazilian-half Serbian – that girl dances all the time to this song about Neymar. That’s why she wanted to meet him badly.” said Novak.

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Novak Djokovic talked about how an athlete’s schedule can be really tight during a match and thus he totally understands the brevity of their encounter. “They did win the title already, but the expectations are always huge from stars like them. That’s why I didn’t want to disturb them and enter their space while they were preparing, but they saw me on their way to the locker room (before the game) and they came to say ’hi”., Djokovic said. 

Djokovic is on his way to becoming a record 23-time Grand Slam champion and if he keeps up his form there is nothing stopping him.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal’s doctor drops recovery update, confident of a successful return for the Spaniard

Novak Djokovic surpasses Nadal at Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via Yahoo UK)

Novak Djokovic’s win against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina makes him the male player with the second-highest win percentage at Grand Slams in the Open Era. Djokovic has surpassed Nadal’s win percentage.

Novak Djokovic’s 87.98% is only second to Bjorn Borg’s 89.24% win rate at the Grand Slams. Rafael Nadal’s win-loss stands at 314-43 (87.96%).

Although Bjorn Borg is ahead of these two in terms of win-loss ratio, the number of matches Djokovic and Nadal have played in the Grand Slams over the years is far ahead of Bjorn Borg’s number, making their record even more impressive. Novak Djokovic has a 344-47 (87.98%) win-loss record at Grand Slams and Nadal has 314-43 (87.96%). Compared to them Bjorn Borg’s win-loss record features lesser matches standing at  141-17.

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