Novak Djokovic has been described as one of the greatest men
to ever step foot on a tennis court throughout his career.
The Serb, who will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the
Astana
Open final on Sunday if often not far from any debate that includes the
names Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
But now it appears Nole, as he is affectionately known but
his devoted fanbase, can also lay claim to being the greatest at helping his fellow
pros when on tour.
Former Serbian player and coach Petar Popovic has tagged
Djokovic as the ‘best’ helping those players who are struggling further down
the ATP world rankings.
Popovic was speaking to The Craig Shapiro Tennis podcast
when he was asked about the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
He said: “I know them very well because we are a small
country and we have travelled together and I have known him since he was very
young.
“The first thing that I'll say about Novak is that for me,
he is the best tennis player regarding helping others. He's amazing. He was
fighting for players who are ranked 100-150, which he didn't need to do.”
In September 2020, Djokovic set-up the Professional Tennis
Players’ Association (PTPA) with the aim of giving the ATP players more power over
the ATP Player Council.
The decision to form the PTPA blindsided many players with Federer
and Nadal voicing their opposition.
But Popovic explained to Shapiro its not just tennis
professionals Djokovic helps, but he also looks to encourage the next
generation of Serbian players.
"He also has a national centre here and he's giving
free practice to the best of Serbians and Croatians. He's really a giving
person and I'm not saying it because he's Serbian, I'm stating facts," he
added.