Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. However, the Serb dabbles in other sports from time to time too. He was recently seen playing golf at an All-Stars exhibition game in Rome, in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup. And now, Novak has once again paid homage to his dearest friend and mentor, Kobe Bryant.
The Serb is taking a well-deserved break after winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open. He went from the hardcourts of Flushing Meadows to the golf course at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. Novak capped off his participation by sharing a beautiful fan-made art of himself, paying a tribute to Kobe.
The illustration depicted him in his custom golf attire, taking a shot. His golf club set proudly bore the number 24, a callback to Kobe’s jersey number. The 24 also represented the number of Grand Slams Novak has won in his career.
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Djokovic and Kobe had a lot of mutual respect and spoke highly of each other. Novak was so touched by the fan-illustration from the Ryder Cup, that he shared it on his account.
Djokovic and Bryant were friends for years before the latter died in a tragic accident on January 26, 2020. Kobe and his daughter Gianna were traveling in a helicopter, when it crashed near Calabasas, California.
Novak took his friend’s death very hard, but he has since come up with ways to keep his memory alive. After winning the US Open, Novak commemorated his friend by wearing a ‘Mamba Forever’ t-shirt.
Novak Djokovic was very impressive, despite swapping his tennis racket for a golf club. There were some hilarious moments too, from his time on the golf course. Overall, the Serb had a great time.
Novak Djokovic praises the atmosphere at the Ryder Cup
Several celebrities attended the Ryder Cup All-Star event last week. Novak’s peer, Matteo Berrettini was also present at the event. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and soccer star Gareth Bale were a few other celebrities who participated.
The Ryder Cup is a marquee event for golf, where Team World locks horns with Team Europe. Djokovic impressed with his shots. It is not surprising, as Djokovic is possibly the greatest athlete at the moment, across different sports.
Did Novak Djokovic just do this? ⛳️🏌🏻♂️#RyderCup #AllStarMatch #Rome pic.twitter.com/MtRTcPvkH7
— TennisWithDennis 🇬🇧 (@TennisWthDennis) September 27, 2023
Djokovic opened up about his incredible experience at the event, praising the atmosphere. “The atmosphere is magical. They told me about the Ryder Cup, but I didn’t expect it to be like this. This is one of the best sensations I’ve ever felt in a sport,” he said (via Tennis World USA).
On the professional front, Novak Djokovic was seen at the Davis Cup, helping Serbia make it to the next stage. He is currently on a break and will be seen at the Paris Masters next.
