Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic copped his 24th major title after defeating Daniil Medvedev at the US Open 2023 final held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, September 10.
But aside from avenging that upset by Medvedev in the final at Flushing Meadows two years ago, the 36-year-old tied Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles trophies in tennis history, the ATP Tour reported.
It has been a tough run for Djokovic, who admitted to dealing with setbacks and injuries, particularly a career-threatening injury he suffered in 2017. However, he mentioned one familiar name who helped him overcome those hard times - NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
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Djokovic honored the late Los Angeles Lakers star after winning the 2023 US Open, showing off a shirt that showed him and Kobe Bryant together with the words "Mamba Forever."
Novak hits 24 and pays tribute to the late Kobe Bryant 💙 pic.twitter.com/rDXVUvYe1Z
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
"I thought, 24 is the jersey he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball," Djokovic said via NBA.com. "So I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him."
Djokovic added that he was close with Bryant and how he and the "Black Mamba" talked about the winner's mentality when he was struggling through an injury and trying to make his comeback.
"We chatted a lot about the winner's mentality when I was struggling with the injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game. He was one of the people that I rely on the most. He was always there for any kind of counsel, advice, any kind of support in a most friendly way," Djokovic stated in the post-match interview via US Open Tennis.
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