"I can't compare myself to him; if I could do half of what he did I would already be very satisfied"- Serbian player Hamad Medjedovic talks about the legacy of Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is showing no signs of stopping after capturing his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title. However, the future of Serbian tennis looks bright as one more talent has recently come under the limelight by the name of Hamad Medjedovic.
In a recent interview with Tiscali Sport, the 19-years-old opened up about the support he has received from Novak Djokovic and his role in his development as a player. Medjedovic said that he considers Djokovic to be the greatest player of all time considering his mental as well as physical strengths.
"Being able to count on his support, for a young man like me, means a lot. For me he is already the best player of all time, but he is still active and who knows how many other important titles he can still win," said Medjedovic. "I can't compare myself to him, I'm just saying that if I could do half of what he did I would already be very satisfied ”.
Ever since arriving at the Novak Tennis Center, the young Serb has said that Djokovic has provided useful tips and proper guidance to Medjedovic to improve as a player.
Hamad Medjedovic's rise started this season and all his titles on the pro tour have come this year. With three titles in the Futures circuit and one in the Challenger tour, Medjedovic has climbed up to 400 positions in the ATP rankings. Presently, he sits at World No. 259 and stated that reaching the top-150 is one of his goals this year.
"Now I would like to go up to around number 150, so as to start approaching the major circuit tournaments full time . But the most important thing at this stage of my career is to feel good physically," he said.
“He deserves these successes for all the efforts of the last year and a half" - Novak Djokovic on Hamad Medjedovic
Novak Djokovic is extremely delighted with the success of fellow countryman Hamad Medjedovic. Having mentored the young Serb and helped him with his career, Djokovic is happy to praise Medjedovic for his success and brilliance on the court, crediting an improved work ethic and changes in diet and recovery.
“He deserves these successes for all the efforts of the last year and a half. His work ethic has changed a lot. He completely changed his approach to training and competitions, changed his diet, his recovery work, some habits and much more." said Djokovic in an interview.
"In terms of play and athletic training, he already deserves the top 100 in the world, but certain steps take time. He has a team of experts around him who follow him full time and work properly, with the aim of accompanying him higher and higher,” he added.
Currently at number 15 in the race to Milan, Hamad Medjedovic has a really strong opportunity to qualify for the Intesa San Paulo Next Gen ATP Finals.