Novak Djokovic salutes good friend Viktor Troicki on his retirement, calls him an "important part of his tennis story"

Novak Djokovic recently took to Twitter to pay tribute to Viktor Troicki, who retired from tennis after failing to qualify for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.

Having turned pro back in 2006, Viktor Troicki lost to World No. 138 Brandon Nakashima in the second round of Wimbledon qualifying on Wednesday. The 35-year-old had declared earlier that the Championships would be his last professional tournament, and after his loss to Nakashima he promptly called it a career.

Novak Djokovic has been good friends with Viktor Troicki for a while, and the two had even teamed up to guide Serbia to their maiden Davis Cup title in 2010. On Thursday, Djokovic expressed via Twitter how significant Troicki had been in his own career growth, before proceeding to thank him for his part in his success.

"My friend, my comrade Viktor Troicki," Djokovic wrote on his Twitter handle. "You have been a very important part of my personal growth & tennis story. Hvala brate (Thank you in Serbian)."

My friend, my comrade @troicki_viktor. You have been a very important part of my personal growth & tennis story. Hvala brate ❤️ It may be the end of a fantastic career, but you are no doubt to inspire new champions my friend. Thank you for everything Ćivša! Good luck! pic.twitter.com/9mspS0BIww

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 24, 2021

"It may be the end of a fantastic career, but you are no doubt to inspire new champions" - Novak Djokovic on Viktor Troicki

Viktor Troicki won three ATP titles in his career and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the world back in 2011. The 35-year-old's biggest career achievement, however, was arguably his decisive victory over France's Michael Llodra in the last rubber of the 2010 Davis Cup final.

Although Troicki only managed to win one live rubber during Serbia's campaign at the 2010 edition of the event, his win over Llodra was worth its weight in gold. The Balkan nation came back from 1-2 down to win the elusive title, after Novak Djokovic had himself defeated Gael Monfils to equal the tie.

Serbian Davis Cup Team poses with the coveted title

It was only after this landmark team victory that Novak Djokovic started his dominance on the ATP tour. The Serb rose to the World No. 1 spot for the first time the following season (2011), while winning three of the four Grand Slams.

At the end of his message, Novak Djokovic asserted that Viktor Troicki had been an inspiration for many. The World No. 1 also wished Troicki good luck for his life outside the court.

"It may be the end of a fantastic career, but you are no doubt to inspire new champions, my friend. Thank you for everything Ćivša! Good luck!" Djokovic said.