'He's actually the reason why I started following cricket' - Tennis star Novak Djokovic opens up on his friendship with Virat Kohli

Published - 21 Apr 2026, 15:53 IST | Updated - 21 Apr 2026, 15:58 IST

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has shared his admiration for Virat Kohli and claimed that the India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star is the reason why he started following cricket in the first place.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner stated that he was not a keen follower of cricket before being introduced to Kohli. He is also hoping to catch up with the 37-year-old when he decides to visit India in the near future.

"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, hopefully, he can join me. We could do a little bit of tennis and a little bit of cricket, have fun, and just spread positive, good vibes while celebrating sport," Djokovic said on Times Now ahead of the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards.

It is worth mentioning that Djokovic is a five-time winner of the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year award, the joint-most since its inception in 2000. Meanwhile, there have been no cricketers to get a nomination, let alone win the accolade, in the last 26 years.

Kohli, however, remains the face of the game as it aims to achieve global reach in the near future. The right-handed batter is currently part of the RCB squad as they look to retain their Indian Premier League title this time around.

The former captain has so far scored 247 runs from six innings at an average of 49.40, whilst striking at 157.32, the highest in his IPL career. He is currently the third-highest runs-scorer in a season, behind Heinrich Klaasen and Shubman Gill.

[WATCH] Kohli in awe of David's brute force during RCB vs DC

Kohli will be in action next against the Gujarat Titans on Friday, April 24, at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.