"He is quite liked actually; everybody has a lot of respect for him" - Sania Mirza says Novak Djokovic has 'surpassed everyone'
Novak Djokovic, contrary to popular belief, is well liked on the tennis tour, according to Sania Mirza. The former doubles World No. 1, in fact, is of the opinion that the Serb has surpassed everyone despite being once considered the "third man" who came in after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
In a recent interview with The Week's Neeru Bhatia, Mirza lavished praise on the Serb for founding the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) to help lower-ranked players. The 36-year-old claimed that greatness does not just mean one is a great tennis player but also means one should be a good person -- a trait that she believes Novak Djokovic embodies like few others.
"(Novak Djokovic) is part of the Professional Tennis Players Association (which seeks greater autonomy for players), but he does not need to be part of it," Sania Mirza said. "He does so because he wants to help others who are not as privileged as him. I do not know how to describe greatness, but it is not just about being a great tennis player. It is also about being a good person."
The Indian icon then proclaimed that everyone in tennis has a "lot of respect" for the 23-time Grand Slam champion, and that him being "misunderstood" on the tour is a myth.
"I do not know if he is misunderstood on the circuit; he is quite liked actually on the tour," Mirza said.
"Everybody has a lot of respect for him, as they should, but I think because it has been a Rafa-Roger rivalry, everyone spoke about him as the third man who kind of came in. Who would have thought he would surpass everybody one day," she added.
"Between rivals, friendship is not possible" - Novak Djokovic on relationship with Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal
In a recent interview, Novak Djokovic said that friendship between rivals is not possible. While talking about his relationship with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the Serb made it clear that they are not "enemies" but also said they're not "friends."
Nevertheless, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has a lot of respect for the duo, and he added that he has always admired them for their impact on the sport.
"We have never been friends; between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies. I've always had respect for Roger," Djokovic said.
"At first we went to dinner together, but even with (Rafael Nadal). friendship is impossible. I have always respected and admired him," he added.