Novak Djokovic sends best wishes to Serbia basketball team forward Borisa Simanic amid kidney removal surgery
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic sent his best wishes to his nation's basketball player Borisa Simanic, who had one of his kidneys removed after suffering an abdominal injury during the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Simanic's kidney tissues suffered damage as he took an elbow to his gut while defending against Nuni Omot of South Sudan during a group-stage match on Wednesday, August 30. On Monday, the Serbian Basketball Federation stated that "due to changes in kidney tissue vitality, the entire kidney had to be surgically removed".
Later, Omot expressed his regret over the incident saying:
"My apologies, I didn’t mean to make no type of a dirty play. I hope you [Borisa Simanic] have a speedy recovery. I pray for you, you’ll be in my prayers. I’m not a dirty player, I’ve never been a dirty player. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize to everyone that’s watching and to the player especially."
Djokovic, who is an avid basketball fan, also showed concern for his compatriot. The tennis great took to social media and posted a picture of the moment Simanic suffered the impact.
As per official reports, Simanic continues to recover after the treatment in a Manila hospital. It is likely the 25-year-old will make a return to the basketball court but not until he heals completely.
"Pride of Serbia" - Novak Djokovic calls Nikola Jokic 'best basketball player in the world'
Earlier this year during the French Open, Novak Djokovic showered praise on Serbian basketball prodigy Nikola Jokic, who helped the NBA side Denver Nuggets win their first-ever championships in the 2022-23 season.
"[Nikola Jokic] Definitely the best basketball player in the world. I cheer for him greatly. He’s an amazing guy and the pride of Serbia. We are so proud of him,” the 36-year-old said in an interview with Tennis Channel.
He further confessed that he wanted to witness Jokic play on the court.
“I’m a basketball fan, Serbia is a basketball nation. We pride ourselves that we are quite good at basketball. But we never had someone as successful in NBA as he is. So kudos to him. Hopefully, I can watch him play live one day,” he said.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion is currently in action at the US Open. He reached the quarterfinals after downing Croatia's Borna Gojo and is set to lock horns with World No. 9 Taylor Fritz on Tuesday, September 5, for a place in the final four at Flushing Meadows.