Novak Djokovic’s former coach Boris Becker congratulates the Serb on being crowned European Sportsperson of the Year for the 5th time

Novak Djokovic's former coach Boris Becker has congratulated the Serb on being crowned European Sportsperson of the Year for the fifth time.

Becker coached Djokovic from 2013-2016. During their time together, the German helped Djokovic win 6 Grand Slam titles and 14 Masters 1000 titles.

Djokovic also clinched his first Career Grand Slam under Becker when he won the 2016 French Open, which coincidentally is the only Grand Slam that eluded the German. The two parted ways in December 2016.

The European Sportsperson of the Year Award is decided by a panel of 27 international news agencies. Djokovic topped the list with 178 points and defeated the likes of Max Verstappen, Erling Haaland, Nikola Jokic, Iga Swiatek, and Armand Duplantis to clinch the crown for the fifth time in 12 years. The Serb had previously won the award in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2021.

Boris Becker took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Djokovic on his achievement.

"Well deserved Schatzi," Becker wrote.

Djokovic had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, winning 7 titles - 3 Grand Slams, 1 ATP 250 title, 2 Masters 1000 titles, and the Nitto ATP Finals. His only Grand Slam loss came against Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Wimbledon.

The Serb also broke the record for most Majors won by a player in the Open Era and surpassed Steffi Graf to become the player with the most weeks as the World No. 1 (405 weeks as of December 25, 2023) this season.

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Novak Djokovic wants to emulate NFL legend Tom Brady's longevity

Novak Djokovic with the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals trophy

Novak Djokovic had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, at the age of 36, and is showing no signs of slowing down. While speaking at the press conference in Riyadh ahead of his exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz, the Serb stated that he would love to play till the age of 40 or even beyond, taking inspiration from NFL legend and friend Tom Brady.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion told reporters:

"Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport and someone that has had such a great career and longevity."

"He has put a lot of hours and a lot of time into self-care, into recovery, into making sure that in a way every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a long-lasting, successful career."

Djokovic further added:

"I know him personally and I learned a lot from him, from his example, and hopefully I can have a career that goes up to 40 or maybe even beyond - let's see."