Novak Djokovic Reveals One Thing Not Ticked Off His Bucket List Which Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer Have Achieved

Novak Djokovic is on top of the world. The Serbian has won three Grand Slam titles in 2023 and now stands alone at the top with 24 Grand Slams to his name. Djokovic is now the most successful player amongst the ‘Big Three’ and the GOAT in many people’s eyes.

However, there is one thing that Djokovic hasn’t done yet, that is playing a competitive game in South America. South America has a passionate tennis fan base arguably after soccer. The likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have already played there on the ATP Tour or in exhibition matches.

Djokovic believes he is still ‘young’ to fulfill South American dream

Novak Djokovic has expressed a desire to compete in a tennis tournament in South America before retiring in an interview with Sportal recently. The World No. 1 has competed all around the world during his career, but surprisingly has never been to the continent for playing tennis. Djokovic is confident that he will be able to achieve his dream since he is ‘still young’.

“Somehow the passion of people in South America for sports, and therefore for tennis, is something that is unique and I want to experience that week after week playing in those competitions. Well, we’ll see. Maybe in some distant future, since I have time, I’m young.”

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have both played in South America. The South American culture, hospitality and love has impressed both the tennis legends. Nadal last went on an exhibition tour there with his protege, Casper Ruud towards the end of 2022.

Their itinerary included stops in Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires, and Quito. In 2019, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev did the same, visiting Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador. Novak Djokovic will soon hope to follow suit.

Novak Djokovic in awe of Lionel Messi, Neymar

Novak Djokovic has confessed his admiration for the South American duo Lionel Messi and Neymar on numerous occasions. The Serbian admitted earlier this year that he was desperate to somehow get a meeting with both of them. And he managed to do so, meeting Neymar in Paris during the French Open and Messi in New York City around the time of the US Open. Djokovic’s social media posts with Messi and Neymar drew a lot of attention, as fans loved watching their sports stars together.

 

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Novak Djokovic is a tennis superstar who plays and lives on his terms. The Serbian has a good relationship with his colleagues and it will be interesting to see if he decides to tour South America with another pro player, like Nadal and Federer have done over the years.