Pride of Serbia: Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic on Top of the Sports World

• Serbians rejoiced following the victories of their two greatest sports stars
• Novak Djokovic won his third French Open title, beating Casper Ruud in the final
• Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets win their first NBA title against Miami

It’s great to be a Serbian sports fan nowadays.

Two of the greatest sports stars to ever live hail from Serbia, and they have just accomplished gargantuan feats in the past few days.

Sports Brief looks at the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic and the close bond the two icons have forged in recent years.

Djokovic and Jokic reign supreme

Djokovic settled once and for all the debate of who is the greatest male tennis player of all time with his win at the 2023 French Open last Sunday.

He defeated Casper Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final to claim a record 23rd Grand Slam title, per Reuters.

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Football

Djokovic broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career. He also moved three in front of Roger Federer, who racked up 20 Grand Slam titles before his retirement.

Djokovic also became the first male player to win the triple Career Grand Slam following his triumph at Roland Garros.

Jokic also made history one day after Djokovic’s win in Paris, leading the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship.

He was named the Finals MVP after averaging 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in the championship series against the Miami Heat.

Jokic accomplished something that has never been done before in NBA history, leading the postseason with 600 points, 269 rebounds, and 190 assists.

Djokovic and Jokic’s budding friendship

According to Insider, the two stars attended a basketball camp together in the city of Belgrade back in the summer of 2020.

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Tennis

Djokovic showed his admiration for Jokic back in 2021 when he donned the Nuggets star’s jersey while preparing for his semifinal clash against Rafael Nadal in the French Open.

Djokovic paid tribute to Jokic after the latter won the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA that year.

Djokovic said in a recent interview that he planned to reach out to Jokic after getting his phone number late in May.

Jokic tried to check his phone after the Game 5 win against Miami to see if Djokovic congratulated him but was overwhelmed by the number of notifications.

Djokovic took to social media to congratulate Jokic for his NBA championship, posting a series of Instagram stories to honor his countryman’s achievement.

Djokovic also posted a picture of the two of them when they were kids, asking Jokic when they are going to play tennis with each other.

Jokic dazzles in NBA Playoffs

Nikola Jokic makes history again: Nuggets star sets Finals records with dazzling debut

NBA

Sports Brief recently reported on Jokic’s historic playoff run, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for triple-doubles.

His finest triple-double came in Game 3 when he scored 32 points and grabbed 21 boards against the Miami Heat.