Novak DjokovicThe 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed his admiration and affection indian cricket icon Virat Kohli He hosted the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards alongside freestyle skiing star Aileen Gu. Djokovic spoke about his love for Indian fans and revealed that his interest in cricket started because of Kohli.During a red carpet interaction before the awards ceremony, the tennis legend was asked about his views on India. Djokovic said he has long admired the country and its passionate fans and expressed his desire to visit India soon.“My message has always been one of love, respect and gratitude for all the support I have personally received over the years from Indian tennis and sports fans around the world. I met a lot of people during this time. My message was also: “See you soon in India” because I needed to be there. Over the past few years I have been feeling a calling to visit. I really hope to be able to come to India for an event, a competition or whatever it may be. I really hope so because I feel very close to the people of India. “Djokovic told The Times.Coming from Serbia, a country where cricket is not popular, Djokovic also revealed how Virat Kohli influenced his interest in the sport.“Yes, Virat is a friend and someone I certainly respect and admire. To be honest, he is the reason why I started following cricket. I had not followed cricket before but through him I started following it more. We keep in touch and hopefully when I come, I don’t want to say if but when I come to India, he can join me. We can play a little tennis and a little cricket and have fun and spread positive vibes and celebrate sports at the same time,” Djokovic added.Meanwhile, tennis took center stage at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka crowned Male and Female Athlete of the Year respectively. The star-studded event, held at Madrid’s iconic Palazzo Cibeles, celebrates the best achievements in global sport.
