Novak DjokovicThe 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed his admiration and love. Indian cricket Icon Virat Kohli at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, where he was co-hosting with freestyle skiing sensation Eileen Gu. Speaking about his love for Indian fans, Djokovic revealed that his interest in cricket started because of Kohli.Ahead of the event, during a red carpet interaction, the tennis legend was asked about his message for India. Djokovic said he has long admired the country and its passionate fans, and expressed his desire to visit India soon.“My message is always love, respect and appreciation for all the support I have personally received from Indian tennis and sports fans around the world over the years. I have met many of them during this time. My message will also be: ‘See you in India very soon’ because I have to go there. I have been feeling the call to visit for the past two years. I really hope I can come to India to host an event, play a match, or whatever. I really wish for it because I feel very close to the Indian people,” Djokovic told Times Now.Hailing from Serbia, a country where cricket is not widely followed, Djokovic also revealed how Virat Kohli inspired him to take up the game.“Yes, Virat is a friend and I certainly respect and admire him. To be honest, he’s the reason I started following cricket. I didn’t follow him before, but through him I started following him more. We stay in touch, and hopefully when I come I won’t want to say what, but when I come to India, he can play a little bit of cricket with me, and we can play a little bit of cricket. And just celebrate the game. Spread positive vibes,” added Djokovic.Meanwhile, tennis dominated the grand stage at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 ceremony, as Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were crowned Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively. The star-studded event, held at Madrid’s famous Sybils Palace, celebrated the best in world sports.
