CHENNAI: Outside of Serbia, Novak Djokovic may be a polarising figure. Inside, he is like a God. That feeling is only heightened when you speak to tennis players from Serbia, who have continued to produce talent. Hamad Medjedovic, 19, who got past wild card Leo Borg to advance to the second round of the Chennai Open on Tuesday, is one such talent. A former junior World No. 9, Medjedovic is considered somebody who could possibly lead Serbia's charge in tennis in the future. Like scores of other tennis players who have emerged from the country in the last decade or so, he also holds Djokovic close to his heart.
No, this isn't just because Medjedovic trains at The Novak Academy in Belgrade. You could make a case for saying if it wasn't for Djokovic's interest in Medjedovic nascent career, the latter may have already slipped through the cracks.
Medjedovic, who was born in a town bordering Montenegro before shifting base to Belgrade when he was nine, explains the story. "Serbia is a small country," he says. "You can hear... I was good at the junior (level). He (Djokovic) probably heard about me and I had a good win at the French Open against the first seed (Medjedovic beat then junior World No 1 Harold Mayot in the boys singles at Roland Garros in 2020) and that is when he texted me. I said thanks. Then, he called me to practice. After that, he wanted me to stay at his centre and that is how everything started."
The 22-time Major champion also took care of his financial needs. "He helped me a lot, including financial. He helped me in every possible way. You know he's always there, giving me a lot of advice. He doesn't tell me about what goals I should set or what rank I should have six months down the line. He wants me to improve my physical and mental game, he tells me I should be more focused on this than the rankings."
Medjedovic, who has called Djokovic his mentor in the past, says the thing he loves the most about his compatriot is his discipline to become better at tennis. "You can learn so many things from Novak," he says. "He's the most disciplined guy I have ever met and it is something I admire. Everything he does, sleeping, eating... anything that adds to his game. His full day is dedicated to the game."
When you spend so much time with somebody like Djokovic, you become immune to the presence of other greats. On Tuesday, Bjorn Borg was courtside to watch his son. It had no effect on the Serb. "I didn't have any problems with Borg," he smiles. "I have got used to some players watching me, especially Novak. I have the biggest problems (chuckles) when he is watching me. After him, everything else comes easy."
Nagal in Rd 2
India's Sumit Nagal is the lone Indian in the second round of the Chennai Open. On Tuesday, he beat Great Britain's Ryan Peniston 6-4, 6-4. Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sasikumar Mukund all bowed in the first round.
When he first began training with Djokovic, it was anything but. "Many times I thought I was dreaming," he says. "I used to pinch myself... what can you say. It is for sure an unreal experience. He was the guy I looked at since I was a kid. To share the court with him... I can't put it in words."
Watching him, you can see he has looked up to Djokovic. He has the ability to turn defence into attack and make passing shots from behind the baseline with ease. He also has a reliable weapon — a gun serve that can hit speeds of over 215 kmph — but he wants to be more consistent with it. "It is not something I focus (on)," he says. I have the physique to serve pretty fast but that is not the point. You should be more consistent with the serve and your percentage has to be good. I think that is better than to serve 220 kmph. On Tuesday, he finished the match with four aces.
On Thursday, he faces a James Duckworth-sized (No. 2 seed) challenge. He already has the game to challenge the Australian.