Novak Djokovic says Wimbledon shaped much of his legacy

Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon has played a defining role in his career and legacy. The seven-time champion also expressed his desire to visit India, meet Virat Kohli, learn cricket from him and explore the country under the Indian star's guidance.

Hyderabad: Tennis legend Novak Djokovic said that much of his legacy was built on what he had achieved at Wimbledon.

“I’ve said it many times, and I’ve always been open about it. This was the tournament I dreamed of winning as a child. I always wanted to do well here, always wanted to win Wimbledon and become world number one. I was blessed to experience that in 2011,” Djokovic said on the JioStar special show.

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“And then, to go on and win the tournament seven times in total and play in so many finals, it has been an incredible journey. For some reason, I have always managed to bring out the best tennis of my life on this grass surface, especially on Centre Court,” he said.

“The energy, the history, the atmosphere, it all brings something extra out of me. I don’t take these opportunities for granted. To still be able to write my own history and the history of the sport, to still be performing at this level and be in another quarter-final, it means a lot. Hopefully, I can go at least a few more steps further this year,” Djokovic said.

On his admiration for Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli and his desire to visit India, Djokovic said: “I would love to play some cricket and tennis with Virat Kohli. I am planning to visit India in the near future, and we have been communicating about it. I know Virat is a global star, but especially in India, he is incredible. I would love for him to be my host and show me around. I have a lot of respect for him and for Indian cricket.”

“Cricket is not big in Serbia, where I come from. But some of the people in my team are British, and they love cricket. So I have been learning about the game over the last 10 to 15 years,” he said.

“I still need to work on my cricketing skills. Maybe Virat can help me with my technique and bat swing. But seriously, I have great respect and admiration for him. I would love to get the chance to meet him in his home country, India,” Djokovic said.