Novak Djokovic is, in the eyes of many fans, the greatest tennis player of all time.
The Serb has won 101 tour-level titles over the course of his career, having secured a joint record of 24 Grand Slams.
Djokovic is still going strong on the ATP Tour at the age of 38 and remains in the pursuit of surpassing Margaret Court for the most major crowns of any man or woman in history.
Though his talent and success are undeniable, his personality has often divided the opinions of many players and fans.
In 2016, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps met Djokovic for the first time, and gave his honest opinion on him as a person.
Michael Phelps’ first ever interaction with Novak Djokovic
Phelps was preparing at the Olympic village ahead of the 2016 Games in Rio and bumped into Djokovic when walking around.
As per NDTV Sports, the famous swimmer was the one who initiated the interaction, recalling: “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s Djokovic’.
“You give each other the nod and the smile, and I was like ‘I’m saying hi. I don’t care, I’m saying hi to him.’
“We ended up talking a little bit about the event schedule and when he was competing and when I was competing, and took a photo and wished each other luck and walked away.
“He’s super-nice, super-down to earth. Easy to talk to. It was something that was cool. I’ve watched so many of his matches on TV. He’s had a lot of epic ones.”
Novak Djokovic’s disappointment at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games
In 2016, Djokovic was looking to finally capture a gold medal that had eluded him for his entire tennis career.
He earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and came fourth in London in 2012, but was now the favourite at the Rio tournament during his prime.
Djokovic’s campaign came to an abrupt end in Brazil, however, when he was knocked out by Juan Martin Del Potro.
He lost to the Argentine in straight sets, falling in two consecutive tiebreaks, 6-7, 6-7.
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