Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and more: When Novak Djokovic named 4 footballers he'd love to play with 

Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2023 US Open to win his 24th Grand Slam title on Sunday, September 10. In addition to being a tennis legend, the Serb has always been a huge football fan. Hence, when asked about the football stars he would love to team up with for a match, the 36-year-old once took a number of iconic names.

The World No. 1 started the list with former Swedish attacker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He also said that the AC Milan legend is a dear friend of his.

In addition to the mention of Ibrahimovic, Novak Djokovic affirmed that he'd love to play with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The last name on the Serb's list was Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta. Djokovic said (via 433):

"Wow, that's a tough one. I got to pick more than one. Ibrahimovic is a dear friend of mine, so I'd love to play with him and obviously Messi, Ronaldo, and from the older guys, Batistuta."

In 2023, Novak Djokovic managed to reach the final of all four Grand Slams, eventually winning three. In the Australian Open, he took down Stefanos Tsitsipas (6–3, 7–6, 7–6) in the final to win his 22nd Grand Slam title.

He won his second Major title of the season after he defeated Casper Ruud (7–6, 6–3, 7–5) in the French Open final. Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a classic five-setter in the Wimbledon final. However, he won the last Grand Slam of the calendar year by defeating Daniil Medvedev (6–3, 7–6, 6–3) in the final.

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Novak Djokovic appreciated Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his support after the 2022 Australian Open deportation

Novak Djokovic was spotted in attendance at San Siro during the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League semi-final match between AC Milan and Inter Milan. In addition to that, the Serb also clicked a picture with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is a close friend of Ibrahimovic. Moreover, he also revealed that he was in regular contact with the former Swedish attacker after the tennis icon was deported from Australia in January 2022. The Serb stated (via GOAL):

"I am friends with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. We often talked about my situation in Australia. He also supported me publicly, which I really appreciate. I'm a Milan fan and we hope to win the Scudetto this year."

Djokovic was sent back from Melbourne due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19 ahead of the 2022 Australian Open. While talking to BBC a few days after his deportation, he confirmed that he was ready to miss the biggest of tournaments rather than getting vaccinated.