Novak Djokovic lauds Giannis Antetokounmpo for shutting down failure talks
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has praised NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo for putting an end to the talk of the Milwaukee Bucks' 2023 season being a failure.
After the Bucks' first-round series loss to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, Antetokounmpo cut a frustrated figure. The Bucks fell 4-1 after losing Game 5 in overtime 128-126.
After the shocking loss to the Heat, a reporter asked Antetokounmpo if this season was a failure, to which the 28-year-old replied:
"You asked me the same question last year, Eric. Okay. Do you get a promotion every year? On your job, no right, so every year you work is a failure? Yes or no? No. Every year you work, you work towards something. Towards a goal, right?
"Which is to get a promotion, to be able to take care of your family... It's not a failure, it's steps to success... Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships, the other nine years, was it failure? "
In light of this, Djokovic took to Instagram stories to commend the basketball player for his courageous remarks. While the 22-time Grand Slam champion did not write anything, he did express his feelings through emojis.
Novak Djokovic aims to improve his gameplay before French Open 2023
Novak Djokovic began his 2023 clay season at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He defeated Ivan Gakhov in the third round and had a thrilling battle with Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round, which the Italian won.
The Serbian then competed at the ATP 250 Srpska Open, where he began his campaign by defeating Luca Van Assche in three sets. However, his run was cut short in the quarterfinals by compatriot Dusan Lajovic.
Djokovic later withdrew from the ongoing Madrid Open.
The 35-year-old stated at a press conference following his Banja Luka elimination that he hopes to turn things around and improve his game ahead of the 2023 French Open.
"It's no secret that you prepare and train for Roland Garros. The same thing happened last year, I had a very slow start to the tour and I started to play better towards the end of the tour," he said.
Roland Garros is arguably Djokovic's least successful Grand Slam tournament. He has won it only twice, in comparison to his 10 Australian Open titles, seven Wimbledon titles, and three US Open titles.