Twenty-four-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is a prominent figure in tennis who has advocated for changes in the sport’s financial structure. In 2021, Djokovic co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to better represent the interests of tennis players. Since then, he has been advocating for the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and Grand Slam organizers to ensure that players are paid fairly and treated equitably, regardless of their performance in a tournament.
Fellow Belgrade-born Hamad Medjedovic has opened up about how much Djokovic has been supporting his professional career for years, insisting that the tennis star continues to motivate him. This support is a key reason why he has risen to the top 110 in the world rankings.
Who is Hamad Medjedovic?
Hamad Medjedovic was born on July 18, 2003, in Belgrade, Serbia. This Serbian tennis star achieved a career-high junior ranking of No. 9. He earned this ranking after winning titles in 2019 at the Berlin Grade 1 and New Delhi Grade 2 tournaments, where he didn’t drop a set throughout the competition. Additionally, he reached the quarterfinals of the Junior French Open in 2020.
In his ATP tour debut in Belgrade in 2021, Hamad Medjedovic lost to finalist Molcan. Later that year, he achieved a significant victory by defeating a Top-70 player, Oscar Otte, during his ATP Challenger debut in Belgrade as a 17-year-old in April.
Medjedovic earned his first ATP Rankings point after winning back-to-back titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour in Antalya, helping him break into the Top 500. On October 16 in the same year, Medjedovic reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 102.
Medjedovic reveals Novak Djokovic’s financial support
Hamad Medjedovic, a 20-year-old Serbian tennis player, recently expressed his gratitude for Novak Djokovic’s generous support in his professional career. Medjedovic revealed that Djokovic has been assisting him financially and providing whatever he needs to advance in the world of tennis.
In September, Medjedovic achieved a significant milestone by winning the Mallorca Challenger. However, his success was followed by a semifinal defeat to Sebastian Korda at the Astana Open earlier this month. These results led to his world ranking improving to 102, but he subsequently dropped four places after an early exit in the first round of qualifying for the European Open and Basel. Despite the ups and downs, Medjedovic, who is under the coaching of former world No. 12 Viktor Troicki, maintains a 7-6 record in ATP Tour main draw matches this season.
Hamad Medjedovic revealed the help he has received from Novak Djokovic in his career. “Novak Djokovic’s been helping me out financially. Giving me whatever I need for my career. He covered it all. He just helped me out when I needed it and [is] still helping me out in all types of ways. I’m glad he’s there for me,” said the 20-year-old in quotes reported on X.
Medjedovic’s father, Eldin, discussed the role Djokovic has played in his son’s career in an interview with Sportal last year. “We did not spend a dime, and believe me, that is not a small amount in the world of tennis, on the contrary,” he said.
“Imagine, the best player in the world is calling my kid to work together in the preseason, it is like [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo telling you: ‘Let’s play some football’, or: ‘Let me know if you need anything. These kinds of things are rare in today’s world, but thank God there are still people who don’t care only about money, but about the human side of things.”
Hamad Medjedovic is currently in ninth position in the qualifying race for the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah.
