[WATCH] ‘Hopefully, I will get a chance to…’ Novak Djokovic opens up on friendship with Virat Kohli

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has once again expressed his admiration for Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli, revealing that although the two sporting greats are yet to meet in person, they have remained in touch over the past few years through messages and mutual support.

Speaking ahead of the 2026 edition of Wimbledon Championships, the 24-time Grand Slam champion shed light on his equation with Kohli and said he hopes to finally meet the former India captain during his planned visit to India. Djokovic even joked that he would love to share both a tennis court and a cricket field with the batting superstar.

“We have not met in person, we have texted, we have been in touch for the last few years, following each other, supporting each other, admiring each other’s careers. Hopefully, I will get a chance to meet him in person and play some tennis, play some cricket. I am also planning to come to India soon, so maybe that’s where we can get the link-up,” Djokovic said.

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The mutual admiration between the two sporting icons has been evident for quite some time. Earlier this year, Djokovic had revealed that Kohli was the reason he developed an interest in cricket, a sport he hardly followed before getting acquainted with the Indian batter.

“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,” Djokovic had said in an earlier interview with RevSportz.

Djokovic heads into Wimbledon 2026 with history firmly in his sights. The Serbian great is chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown, which would see him match Roger Federer’s tally of men’s singles titles at the prestigious tournament.

A successful campaign would also hand Djokovic his 25th Grand Slam singles title, moving him ahead of Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in tennis history.

Meanwhile, Kohli is set to return to international action after playing a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful IPL 2026 campaign, where the franchise secured its second successive title.

Having retired from Test and T20I cricket, the veteran batter now features only in the ODI format for India. His next assignment will be the three-match ODI series against England, which is scheduled to get underway on July 14.