"Thank God there are people for whom money is not everything, but humanity" - Hamad Medjedovic's father on how Novak Djokovic has contributed to the growth of his son's tennis
Novak Djokovic has become a guide, mentor, friend and even financial supporter for rising Serbian tennis star Hamad Medjedovic. Djokovic is helping Medjedovic get the best resources possible and make his mark at the highest level in the sport.
The youngster is widely regarded as Djokovic's successor in taking Serbian tennis forward, and his father Eldin recently revealed how the 21-Slam champion is helping him reach that level.
Medjedovic has been training at the Novak Tennis Center for over a year-and-a-half. Earlier this year, the 19-year-old set a goal of entering the top-300 of the ATP rankings by the end of 2022. With over five months still to go before the season ends, Medjedovic is already up to No. 259 in the rankings.
Speaking recently to Serbian publication Sportal, Eldin Medjedovic talked about his son's ascent and revealed a conversation he had with Novak Djokovic ahead of the 2021 season.
"We are lucky that we ended up with Novak, thank God," said Eldin Medjedovic. "Novak is really trying hard for Hamad. In all ways: financially, mentally and socially. I remember another conversation with Novak. Then we specifically talked about the steps in Hamad's career. And here, I'll tell you honestly, I pinched myself during that conversation to convince myself that all this was happening."
Eldin went on to describe how the seven-time Wimbledon champion came up with ideas and a plan to help Hamad Medjedovic. While Eldin was initially skeptical about putting those plans into action due to costs involved, Djokovic promised to take care of everything. The 35-year-old just wanted Medjedovic to give his best in training.
Djokovic told Eldin that he was happy to go out of his way to help upcoming talents in Serbian tennis. He also expressed hope that his act of generosity would motivate the Medjedovic family to do the same for another player in the future.
"Then Novak told me: 'Edo, I'm not doing this for money! I have a place to earn money. Simply, my role and my task is to help. What kind of person would I be if I didn't help children who deserve it, who love tennis, still getting results, helped?' I listen to him, and he adds: 'You know what we're going to do? Tomorrow, when Hamad succeeds, you'll also take someone whom you'll help'."
"I continued to pinch myself, and then I said to myself: 'Hello, stop, take it easy.' That was the first time someone in the sport had said that to me. All this was a pleasant surprise for me," he added.
The Serb kept his promise and helped the Medjedovic family with the heavy costs that a professional tennis player normally incurs on tour, including fees for coaches, trainers, and physiotherapists.
"During the whole year 2021, we did not pay a dinar for all the coaches, complete trips, hotels, plane tickets, physiotherapists, masseurs, preparations that they went to together," Eldin continued. "And that's not a small amount of money in the world of tennis."
Djokovic in practice yesterday, his partner was youngster Hamad Medjedovic. https://t.co/06AD8vFCCR
Djokovic also invited young Medjedovic to accompany him to training sessions, and the 19-year-old's dad lavished praise on his generosity.
"Imagine, the best in the world calls my child to go to training together," Eldin said. "Imagine that! It would be like Ronaldo or Messi calling you and saying: 'Let's play football' or 'Call me if you need anything.' These things seem a bit foreign in today's time, but thank God there are people for whom money is not everything, but humanity."
When Novak Djokovic texted Hamad Medjedovic moments before his Wimbledon 2022 match
Hamad Medjedovic won an ATP Challenger event in Germany, one of the biggest titles of his young career, on the same day as Novak Djokovic's fourth-round match at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Djokovic already had a lot on his plate at the Grand Slam tournament, but still found time to congratulate Medjedovic.
"Watch out for that, he is a champion, he plays such an important tournament and he finds time for other things that interest him. He found out that Hamad won the tournament and just before the match he found time to send a message of support. All these things say a lot about Novak Djokovic," Hamad Medjedovic's father expressed.
Medjedovic Sr. also revealed how the 21-time Grand Slam champion made his son feel comfortable during their travels and training sessions together. While Medjedovic was nervous about interacting and playing tennis with the Serbian great, he soon realized their interactions were going to be friendly.
#Djokovic #NoleFam . @djokernole practicing with Hamad Medjedovic in Belgrade! 🇷🇸 #Djokovic #NoleFam
Credits: instagram.com/dzidic_fahir?i… & instagram.com/hamadmedjedovi… https://t.co/DDv8i64Lt0
Eldin Medjedovic also stated how former Serbian tennis players Victor Troicki and Ilija Bozoljac, both of whom are coaches at the Novak Tennis Centre, have contributed to Hamad Medjedovic's growth as a player.
The 19-year-old started the season ranked No. 669 in the ATP Rankings but has already jumped 410 places. He made his ATP main draw debut at the 2021 Belgrade Open and played the qualifiers at the Croatia Open in Umag soon after.