Picture Credit: Twitter
The 36-year-old tennis star, Novak Djokovic on Monday etched history as he became the oldest man to ever win 24 Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. The Serbian overcame his 2021 defeat against World No. 3, Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in a battle that went neck-and-neck for three hours and 16 minutes.
However, there were several moments from the win which grabbed the limelight including Novak’s celebration with daughter Tara, who was present in the stands. One of them was the great paying tribute to the late American basketball legend Kobe Bryant. However, the memories of the basketball great was sported by several tennis players at the Flushing Meadows, including US Open Singles champion Coco Gauff, this one came in as a special one.
The Serb donned a Black Mamba No. 24 jersey soon after his win with “Mamba Forever” and an image of legend on the front and Bryant’s jersey No. 24 on the back, referring to his newly earned 24 th Grand Slam title. He in the post-match ceremony also talked about the same and explained, “I thought of doing this t-shirt eventually if I get a chance to win the tournament.”
“Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality when I was struggling with an injury and trying to make my comeback, to work my way back to the top of my game. He was one of the people I relied on the most,” Djokovic further added.
Additionally, Novak and his entire team sported the 24-numbered jacket during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Further talking about the Serbian, the 36-year-old made his first appearance this season after two years, where he was denied entry due to his refusal on COVID-19 vaccination. The legend made his return a remembering moment as he levelled with Margaret Court’s all-time mark for most Grand Slam titles won in tennis history.
