Djokovic praised Messi, wants tennis to be as popular as football.

Both Lionel Messi and Novak Djokovic were born in 1987. These two men are doing extraordinary things in the sport that they pursue. Djokovic was one of more than 80,000 spectators present in Lusail Stadium in Qatar to witness the moment Messi and Argentina lifted the World Cup Trophy for the third time in their history on December 18, 2022. In addition to Messi's talent, Nole admires the modesty of the 35-year-old striker, who is playing for PSG, a club from France’s capital.

Djokovic always pays huge respect to Messi.

"It was amazing. It was a spectacular final. I was really lucky to be there. For a lot of people, it was the best World Cup final ever, and I suppose that it's a complete tournament," the 35-year-old Serbian said as he was competing in the 2022 World Tennis League tournament in the UAE.

Djokovic has many kind words for Messi and hopes to create the same influence as the Argentine player. He said: "As a sports fan and a football lover, of course I admire Messi. I have a lot of respect for him, and I think most people in the world are satisfied with his achievements and what he has done. He is always humble and never succumbs to difficulties. He is a great role model for the younger generation."

• Sources: Inter Miami Secures Agreement with Grêmio for Luis Suárez
• Lionel Messi Claims Eighth Golden Ball at Ballon d'Or 2023, Beating Out Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in Official Rankings

Finally, Nole hopes to elevate tennis to the same position as football: "Football is of course the most popular sport on the planet, but tennis is right there, in the top five most popular sports in the world. We are honored and proud to have that position and I hope many children will come to tennis when they see me or my colleagues play."

Djokovic has achieved many titles in his career.

"The Djoker," the Serbian player’s nickname, had words that could not be more wonderful for "El Pulga," Messi’s nickname, and it can be seen that Nole is also very humble. He may not be the most popular tennis player compared to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but Nole's talent and effort are what will inspire many people to come to tennis, especially the youngsters.

Djokovic holds the record for most weeks at the top of men’s ATP rankings, with 373 weeks as the number one tennis player, and he also aims to break the 22 Grand Slam record, which currently belongs to Nadal, a Spanish player. Nole has done a lot for the tennis world, and it is not an exaggeration to say that Djokovic is one of the stars who keeps tennis appealing to a large portion of the audience. 

Messi Clinches Eighth Ballon d'Or Victory, Surpassing Haaland in 2023

Lionel Messi made history by winning a record eighth Ballon d'Or, surpassing Manchester City's Erling Haaland for the 2023 prestigious award.