Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, expressed his admiration and affection for Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, where he was hosting alongside freestyle skiing sensation Eileen Gu. Djokovic spoke about his love for Indian fans and revealed that his interest in cricket began because of Kohli.

Ahead of the ceremony, 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 also shared 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’ve met so many of them during this time. My message would also be: ‘See you very soon in India,’ because I need to go there. I’ve been feeling a calling to visit for the last couple of years. I really hope that I’ll be able to come to India to host an event, play a match, or whatever it may be. I truly wish for that because I feel very close to the Indian people,” Djokovic told Times Now.

Coming from Serbia, a country where cricket is not widely followed, Djokovic also revealed how Virat Kohli influenced him to take an interest in the sport.

“Yes, Virat is a friend and someone I, of course, respect and admire. He’s actually, to be honest, the reason why I started following cricket. I hadn’t followed it before, but through him, I started following it more. We keep in touch, and hopefully, when I come, I don’t want to say if, but when I come, to India, he can join me. We could play a little bit of tennis and a little bit of cricket, have fun, and just spread positive vibes while celebrating sport,” Djokovic added.

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 was held at the iconic Cibeles Palace in Madrid, celebrating the finest achievements across global sport.