"One of the biggest disappointments of his career" - Boris Becker sheds light on Novak Djokovic's "heartbreak" after 1R defeat at Rio Olympics

Former World No. 1 Boris Becker recently shed light on Novak Djokovic's grief after his first-round defeat at the Rio Olympics in 2016. The Serb will participate in the Paris Olympics 2024, marking his fifth appearance at the prestigious sporting event.

In 2016, he had already won the Australian Open and the French Open before entering the Rio Olympics. However, his campaign at the marquee event ended early when he lost 6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (2-7) to Juan Martin del Potro in the first round. Consequently, the Serb shed tears after the shocking defeat.

Boris Becker, who coached Djokovic that year, recently revealed that the latter was "heartbroken" by his loss to Del Potro at the Rio Olympics. The six-time Grand Slam champion called it one of the biggest disappointments of the Serb's career.

"Then he lost to Del Potro in the first round and you couldn’t talk to him for the first few days because he was heartbroken. It was one of the biggest disappointments of his career, but there you have it," Boris Becker said ( Via Punto de Break).

Becker added that the forthcoming Olympic Games would be important for Novak Djokovic given his love for his country.

"He has so many great wins in his career, but you could see the disappointment. He showed how proud he is to be Serbian. He loves his country more than anything else in the world and that’s why these Olympics will be so important for him,” the German said.

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Novak Djokovic tried his hands at rowing as a part of his preparation for the Paris Olympics 2024

Day Fourteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024 - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic recently tried his hands at rowing, calling it a part of his preparations for the Olympics. The Serb shared a post on his Instagram handle, which showed him sitting on a rowing boat.

“To get in the zone for @olympics, thought I'd try one of the other events,” Djokovic wrote in the captions.

Djokovic will be representing his country alongside Dusan Lajovic at the Olympic Games in Paris. Moreover, Djokovic's official outfit for the Paris Olympics 2024 was unveiled recently in a post, where he sported the traditional kit having a combination of red, blue, and white colors.

Djokovic's best performance at the Olympics came in Beijing in 2008, where he clinched a bronze medal. The tennis competition at the Olympics will start on Saturday, July 27.