"Novak Djokovic did more for kids than selfish Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer" - Fans react to Jakub Mensik saying Serb is the reason he plays tennis

Tennis fans have hailed Novak Djokovic after rising star Jakub Mensik called the Serb his idol.

Mensik took a wildcard to enter the ongoing Qatar Open, where he has put together a handful of impressive performances. He began the tournament by beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets.

The 18-year-old then locked horns with Andy Murray in what turned out to be a marathon contest. He hit 18 winners, including 12 aces, en route to beating the former World No. 1, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) in three hours and 24 minutes.

Mensik built on that hard-fought win by beating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-6 (6) to reach the semifinals of an ATP event for the first time in his career.

Later, in a video posted on social media, the Czech Republic player named Djokovic as his tennis idol.

"My tennis inspiration is Novak. Because of him, I started to play tennis. He is my biggest idol. Because of him [or] I wouldn't be here," he stated.

Fans were quick to react to his statement, with one stating that Djokovic did more for the next generation of players than Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

"Djokovic did more for the next kids of tennis than selfish Rafa or Federer. GOAT Novak," said one fan.

Another fan stated that Mensik's praise for the Serbian is a part of his legacy that's admirable:

"This is one aspect of Novak's legacy that I really admire, even as a Roger & Rafa fan. Novak is putting a lot for younger players, for pay equity and guidance."

Here are some more fan reactions:

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Rafael Nadal admits that Novak Djokovic is statistically the best player in tennis history

Rafael Nadal has hailed the Serbian as the greatest player in tennis history.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have dominated the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate in men's tennis over the last few years.

With Federer announcing his retirement in 2022, the other two have gone toe-to-toe in their quest to be crowned the best player in the sport's history. Injuries, however, have hampered Nadal's progress. In his absence, Djokovic has gone from strength to strength.

The 36-year-old won three Majors last year to take his tally to 24, an Open Era record. When it comes to 'big titles' (Grand Slams, ATP Finals, Masters 1000s, and Olympic gold medals), the Serb with 70 is well ahead of Nadal (59) and Federer (55).

In a recent interview, Nadal admitted statistics show that he is the best player in tennis history.

“The numbers say yes, for me yes [he is the best in history],” he told El Objective de La Sexta (via Times Nows).

“The image he projects is worse than what he really is. He is a good person, with his mistakes. But much better than what he looks like. Novak breaks the racquet but at the next point he is one hundred percent, that’s why he is the one who has achieved the most in the history of our sport,” he added.