"Why on earth won't you love Novak Djokovic?" - Tennis fans hail the Serbian legend for shining light on wheelchair tennis during his Tel Aviv stay

Novak Djokovic has won many hearts for his kind gesture at the Tel Aviv Open, where he tried his hand at wheelchair tennis alongside Israeli professional wheelchair tennis player Elay Chayot.

The Serbian great has often highlighted the importance of the format and expressed his admiration for wheelchair tennis stars, even playing alongside Australian great Dylan Alcott at the Australian Open. He once again shone a light on the same with his latest gesture at the Tel Aviv Open.

Fans reacted to the same and hailed Djokovic for using his stature in the sport to highlight the importance of wheelchair tennis, praising him for doing something not often seen from other able-bodied players.

"Why on earth won't you love Novak Djokovic," one fan wrote on Twitter.

"How many other top players do you see doing this? Nole’s kindness is amazing," another fan wrote.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Novak Djokovic mixed up his usual training methods with some wheelchair tennis ahead of his Tel Aviv Open final against Marin Cilic. He is aiming to clinch his third title of the season, having won the Italian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

The 35-year-old has faced Cilic 20 times in the past and has won 18 of those matches. The World No. 7 has also qualified for the 2022 ATP Finals courtesy of his performance at the ATP 250 event.

"It has a lot to do with the environment I grew up in" - Novak Djokovic opens up on his mental strength

Laver Cup 2022 - Day Two

Novak Djokovic is regarded as one of the mentally strongest players of all time. He recently reflected on the same and revealed why he thinks he is so tough mentally, pinning it down to his struggles as a young kid growing up in war-torn Serbia. He also hailed his parents for helping him pursue tennis despite the monumental challenges ahead of them.

"I think it has a lot to do with the environment I grew up in," Djokovic said according to Punto de Break. "As I have told before, I grew up in the 90's in Serbia, with wars, sanctions and difficult times to live. My parents suffered a lot just to be able to eat. I have been lucky to belong to this sport, which is not cheap. I fell in love with tennis and my parents helped me, even though it was extremely difficult for them."

The Tel Aviv Open is his first ATP points tournament since Wimbledon, which concluded in the second week of July, as he missed the entirety of the American hardcourt swing. The Serb has not shown signs of struggling against a wrist injury that affected him during his Laver Cup match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, cutting through his opponents in Tel Aviv with relative ease.