Novak Djokovic explains how Serbian basketball stars made him cry on homecoming
Novak Djokovic says he will ‘keep going’ after US Open win
Novak Djokovic is no stranger to having that winning feeling, but the reception he received on his spontaneous return to Serbia on Tuesday evening caught the world No. 1 off guard. After clinching his fourth US Open with a straight-sets victory against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, the Serb set a new record for the most Grand Slam titles in the Open era, with his 24th major triumph, moving ahead of Serena Williams.
The 36-year-old had been relatively calm in his post-match court celebrations at Flushing Meadows but it was a different story when he made a surprise appearance on the balcony of the Belgrade City Assembly in front of thousands of adoring fans.
Djokovic had effectively gatecrashed a reception that had been arranged for Serbia’s national basketball team, who won the silver medal at the World Cup and were also gold medalists at the 3×3 Cup world championship.
But his appearance in Belgrade amid rapturous noise appeared to move the tennis champ to tears before he gave a speech in his native tongue and held aloft the US Open trophy.
National media outlet Telegraf managed to grab a word with Djokovic in front of a restaurant where he was going on to celebrate his success and it was there that he revealed the trigger for his tears of joy.
Djokovic said: “Somehow everything happened so quickly for me in New York, that historic success and everything I experienced there in a month, is something that marked the season for me.
“Today (Tuesday) I arrived in Belgrade, I had family obligations, I was not even supposed to be here, but with the national (Davis Cup) team in Spain, where I am joining them on Wednesday.
“So it turned out spontaneously in a way that I joined the welcoming event. Thank you to everyone who invited me to that celebration, to be on the same balcony with basketball players who are my friends, people I admire, fantastic guys who made the nation happy with a silver medal, but also more than that, with the human values they showed, Borisa [Simanic] who is a national hero and who pushed the team to reach the final.”
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Serbian basketball star Borisa Simanic had to withdraw from the World Cup to have a kidney removed but was back to help the team celebrate on the balcony.
“Everything somehow turned out that way, few believed that they could go far, but they showed that harmony and unity can take them to the greatest heights,” said Djokovic.
“I had the privilege of being on the balcony several times, but this is the most beautiful welcome for me, I had someone to share it with, there were also basketball players, whom I have watched for the past two or three decades, I was in front of the crowd, this is unreal for me.”
He added: “Before I went out (onto the balcony), Beogradski Sindikat performed a song they dedicated to me, I knew about that song, but I didn’t know that the basketballers knew the words, and when I realized that they were singing it, when I saw the energy of those people singing that song, it was overwhelmingly emotional.”
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