Dia Evtimova posts adorable picture of 14-year-old Novak Djokovic, calls the Serb an "extraordinary" and "down-to-earth" athlete
Bulgarian player Dia Evtimova, who happens to be an old friend of Novak Djokovic's, recently posted a picture of the Serb from the time he was just 14 years old. Evtimova, who has been training at Djokovic's tennis center in Belgrade lately, also heaped praise on the World No. 1 for his on-court brilliance and his humble nature.
Evtimova has been on tour for 16 years, during which her best singles ranking has been No. 145. The 34-year-old has also been a prominent Fed Cup player for Bulgaria, with 35 matches under her belt in the competition.
On Saturday, Evtimova posted a picture on Instagram where she revealed that she has known Novak Djokovic for 20 years and counting. The Bulgarian also wrote that it has been an "honor and pleasure" to know Djokovic for two decades and that she considers him to be the GOAT.
Evtimova also spoke in glowing terms about Djokovic's humble nature and sense of responsibility. She believes those qualities are reflected in his involvement with the PTPA, where the Serb has sworn to improve the conditions for lower-ranked players.
"What an honor and pleasure to know for 20 years the greatest player of our sport," Dia Evtimova said. "An extraordinary athlete who is able to maintain down-to-earth behavior, authenticity and strong sense of responsibility about our sport and future tennis generations @ptpaplayers."
The most striking feature of Evtimova's post, however, is the adorable picture that she uploaded of herself and Djokovic from when they were both 14 years of age.
The Bulgarian further expressed her gratitude to the Novak Djokovic Tennis Center for helping her prepare for her upcoming tournaments.
"@novak.tennis.center Thanks for having and helping me get ready for my next tournaments," she further wrote. "What a great center with positive professional team."
Novak Djokovic thanks Dia Evtimova for her post
Novak Djokovic on his part made it a point to express his gratitude to his old friend Dia Evtimova for her kind words. Djokovic wished Evtimova good luck for her upcoming tournaments and said that it was "nice" to see her after a long while.
"Thank you 🙏 Dia for coming ! Good luck. It was so nice to see you after many years," Novak Djokovic replied to Dia Evtimova on Instagram.
The Serb was also kind enough to pose with a few fans at his tennis center on Saturday.
Champ @DjokerNole with fans in Novak Tennis Center in Belgrade. ❤️❤️❤️
Love that smile. 😍 #NoleFam https://t.co/JOb6MQ9grX