"Novak Djokovic was and will always be the greatest for me" - Macedonian handball player Kiril Lazarov

Handball legend Kiril Lazarov has hailed Novak Djokovic as the greatest tennis player in the world.

Djokovic, currently ranked World No. 1, is one of the best tennis players in history, winning 20 Grand Slams and a record 37 Masters 1000 titles. Lazarov, meanwhile, holds a slew of records in handball, scoring over 1,300 goals, including nearly 100 in the World Men's Handball Championship.

On behalf of himself and the Handball Federation of North Macedonia, Lazarov recently handed Djokovic a jersey of the Macedonian national team. The Macedonian football team also presented the World No. 1 with a jersey in a similar gesture last year.

In an interview with the Telegraf, Lazarov waxed lyrical about Djokovic's famed mental strength and ability to win seemingly lost matches.

"Novak was and will always be the greatest for me ... Although he is younger than me, I see him as an idol. Idols on and off the field. A victorious man who is born once in 1000 years. His mental strength and manner of behavior in important moments and in moments when he loses ... How he knows how to make a turnaround from a lost match, so it is almost impossible. He has been doing it with ease for years. The biggest!" he said.

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Novak Djokovic reaches Serbia Open 2022 final

Novak Djokovic is through to the Serbia Open final in Belgrade

Playing only his third tournament of the year, Novak Djokovic made a slow start to his campaign at the ongoing Serbia Open in Belgrade.

He came within two points of defeat against compatriot Laslo Djere in his tournament opener before triumphing in a deciding set tie-break. In his next match, the World No. 1 had a tough outing against another Serb in Miomir Kecmanovic before prevailing in three sets.

In his semi-final encounter against Karen Khachanov, the world's top-ranked player was once again slow off the blocks. After dropping the opening set for the third time this week, Djokovic shifted gears. The Serb dropped only three games in the remainder of the match to reach the final in Belgrade, where another Russian, Andrey Rublev, lies in wait.

Earlier in the season, Djokovic was not allowed to defend his title at the Australian Open due to a visa controversy arising out of his unvaccinated COVID-19 status. The Serb opened his season in Dubai, where he fell to Czech journeyman Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals.

After not being allowed to compete at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters due to his COVID-19 vaccination status, Djokovic arrived in Monte-Carlo. However, the two-time winner suffered a shock defeat in his tournament opener against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.