On September 10, 2023, Novak Djokovic won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam, defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the US Open Final. Right after creating tennis history, Djokovic changed into a custom shirt with an image of himself and the basketball star Kobe Bryant with the phrase “Mamba Forever” on the front and No. 24 on the back. The legendary Kobe Bryant, nicknamed the “Black Mamba”, sported jersey no. 24 for 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. After Bryant’s death in 2020, Djokovic shared that the two had developed a personal relationship over ten years and called the late superstar a mentor and “one of the greatest athletes of all time.”
KnowALLedge Plus:
>This win at the Flushing Meadows moved him past Serena Williams and tied him with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles of all time.
>Novak Djokovic is the oldest US Open champion in the Open era, and he has now won the tournament four times.
>The Serbian tennis star is also the first man to have won three grand slam titles in a season on four separate occasions.