Djokovic Credits Kohli for Cricket Interest

Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star and 24-time Grand Slam champion, revealed on the sidelines of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid that Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli sparked his interest in the sport, crediting their friendship for drawing him into cricket fandom. Speaking ahead of the ceremony on April 20, Djokovic expressed a strong desire to visit India soon and collaborate with Kohli on a lighthearted tennis-cricket event to celebrate sportsmanship.

Djokovic, who hosted the awards alongside freestyle skier Eileen Gu, shared these sentiments during an interview with reporters. "Yes, Virat is a friend and someone I, of course, respect and admire. He's actually, to be honest, the reason why I started following cricket," he said. "I hadn't followed it before, but through him, I started following it more. And, you know, we keep in touch." The two athletes have maintained contact via social media, with Kohli publicly supporting Djokovic's performance at last year's Wimbledon, where he attended the round-of-16 match against Alex de Minaur alongside his wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. Kohli posted on X afterward, calling it "business as usual for the...