When Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia earlier this year, he didn't find a lot of support from his colleagues on the ATP Tour, but that seems to have changed.
The Serbian player wasn't allowed to compete at the 2022 Australian Open after he was deported from the country, and only a few players stood behind him. However, after the 2022 Italian Open final, Stefanos Tsitsipas seemingly showed support for the World No. 1 player.
Djokovic defeated Tsitsipas in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome and lifted his first trophy of the 2022 season. After the match, both players showed great respect for each other and exchanged some compliments.
The young Greek also said that he admires Djokovic and supports all of his decisions, hinting at supporting his decision not to get vaccinated, which directly influenced his chances of winning more Grand Slam titles.
"I have so much respect for him. Every single decision he has made, I understand it, even the ones in the past. I support them. He's a very wise person and he knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to his career and life. He has everything tuned in close to perfection."
"When it comes to his diet or his everyday life, his tennis, he has everything scheduled out really well. He's like a Formula One car: every single small detail can disrupt his rhythm."
"He makes sure every single thing that he does is reaching as close to perfection as possible. Of course I cannot neglect that and not feel inspired by it because it's professionalism to the fullest."
"In terms of talking about tennis legends and breaking records, when it comes to all these things, I personally think he's one of the most professional and the best of them all."