Novak Djokovic’s father delivered an emotional speech at the awards ceremony where his son was named the best athlete of 2024 by the Serbian Association of Sports Journalists. Srdan Djokovic accepted the award on behalf of the Paris 2024 gold medalist.

Despite an up-and-down year by Djokovic’s own career standards, winning the elusive Olympic gold cemented his place as Serbia’s best athlete for the 11th time, an all-time record for the award, which has been given out since 1994.

This time, Nole was not present at the ceremony, held at the RTS Gallery, but his father Srdan was there to accept the award on his behalf.

“I am happy and proud to be the father of the greatest athlete of all time. Don’t be afraid to say it because, by all indicators and criteria, he is the best athlete in history. Say it freely—those who don’t allow you to say it are wrong.”

“He grew up during the worst times of sanctions and bombings, a life of despair, with wages of just a few marks, borrowing money with 10–15% monthly interest. Yet, he remained the same person he was at six years old,” he added, according to Sport Klub.

“Back then, we knew exactly when he would sleep, what he would eat, and what grade he would get in math. Nothing was easy, but he turned every hardship into something positive. He is an incredible child, and this May, he will turn 38 years old.”

The father of the 37-year-old tennis star refused to speculate on his son’s potential retirement. Nole has shown no signs of stepping away from the sport anytime soon, as he continues to chase more Grand Slam titles to further cement his legacy. “I told him last year to stop playing tennis, but he said to me: ‘Dad, let me do what I do best and what I love.’ Whatever he chooses to do next in his career, he will be the best in the world.”

“Enjoy Novak—I don’t know how much longer he will play, and I don’t want to say anything that might make him upset. But he will probably win a few more titles before the end of his career,” he added.