Novak Djokovic: "If I wasn’t from Serbia, I’d have been glorified on a sporting level many years ago, especially in the West"

Novak Djokovic recently claimed that he would have been celebrated more as an athlete in the West if not for his Serbian nationality.

Djokovic, who turned professional in 2003, has become the first tennis player to win 24 Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. He defeated Russia's Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the US Open final on Sunday.

The Serb subsequently interacted with Sportklub and reflected on his triumph over Medvedev. He described the emotions that ran through him following the historic victory.

"In those moments, physically and materially, I no longer feel my legs, I don't feel strength, the ground under my feet and the sky above my head are spinning," he said.

Djokovic was then asked if he should feature in a conversation about the greatest athletes of all time and not just the greatest in tennis.

"I leave that up to you and everyone else, whether or not I deserve to be part of that discussion... but one thing is a fact, though – if I wasn’t from Serbia, I’d have been glorified on a sporting level many years ago, especially in the West," he replied.

The 36-year-old, however, is grateful for the fact that he hails from Serbia.

"But, well, it's part of my life's journey, I'm grateful that I come from Serbia. It gives me faith and hope, that's why everything I achieve is sweeter and fulfills me even more," he added.

Novak Djokovic becomes ATP World No. 1 for record-extending 390th week

The Serb lifts the US Open trophy.

Novak Djokovic has reclaimed the top spot in the ATP singles rankings. In the rankings updated on Monday, September 11, the Serb was placed ahead of Carlos Alcaraz on the back of title-winning runs at the US Open and the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

In the process, the 36-year-old also extended his lead for the most number of weeks as World No. 1; he has now been the top-ranked player for a whopping 390 weeks.

He is followed by Switzerland's Roger Federer, who retired in September last year. Federer held the No. 1 position for 310 weeks.

Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, and Jimmy Connors occupy the next three spots with 286, 270, and 268 weeks, respectively.

At present, Djokovic has 11,795 points compared to Alcaraz's 8,535. Next on the list is Daniil Medvedev with 7,280 points, followed by Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas.