‘Djokovic is paying all my tennis bills but I’ve lost more ATP matches than won’
Novak Djokovic says he will 'keep going' after US Open win
Novak Djokovic has been paying the bills of up-and-coming Serbian professional Hamad Medjedovic but the 20-year-old has lost more matches on the tour than he has won, despite claiming victory at the Mallorca Challenger in September. Madjedovic has spent two years on the tour as he looks to emulate his compatriot’s career, but still has a long way to join him at the top of the sport.
The world No 102 reached the semi-finals of the ATP 250 tournament in Astana last month to Sebastian Korda in a tiebreak and is in a strong position to qualify for the Next Gen Finals, but holds just a 7-9 win-loss record overall on the tour. He possesses a winning record this year, but likely would want to repay Djokovic’s faith with more wins next season.
“Novak Djokovic’s been helping me out financially,” Medjedovic previously explained. “Giving me whatever I need for my career. He covered it all. He just helped me out when I needed it and [is] still helping me out in all types of ways. I’m glad he’s there for me.”
Djokovic has frequently looked to help budding Serbian tennis stars, having opened up the Novak Tennis Center in Belgrade 15 years ago and has also been a source of support to Medjedovic, calling the youngster after his Mallorca win.
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“Would you believe who was the first to congratulate me on my title – Novak,” Medjedovic said. “When I picked up my phone, I saw his voice message lasting more than one minute. He is a legend because he is always available for advice.”
Djokovic even spoke at length during his Wimbledon run about the young Serbian starlet, stating: “It was phenomenal – winning his first Challenger title coming from qualies is a huge result and I congratulated him. His jump in the rankings will mean a lot for the future. I have a lot of friends who are sort of stuck in that second tier of tennis – between Futures and 250s – it is hard to break through, but Hamad is now close to playing qualifiers for Grand Slam tournaments.”
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Medjedovic’s father, Eldin, further explained the role that Djokovic has played in his son’s career last year. He told Sportal: “We did not spend a dime, and believe me, that is not a small amount in the world of tennis, on the contrary.
“Imagine, the best player in the world is calling my kid to work together in the preseason, it is like [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo telling you: ‘Let’s play some football’, or: ‘Let me know if you need anything.’
“These kinds of things are rare in today’s world, but thank God there are still people who don’t care only about money, but about the human side of things.”
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