‘Makes me so mad’ – Mike Tyson loves Novak Djokovic and was so happy to see him beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Olympics
Novak Djokovic is fast becoming the unanimous choice for greatest tennis player of all time - and he has the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ in his corner.
Mike Tyson has developed a huge passion for tennis in his later years and is often seen at some of the biggest global events.
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Despite training for his Jake Paul fight in November, he confirmed on his podcast appearance with Logan Paul, Jake’s brother, that he will be at the US Open.
When asked if there were any sports he was following, Tyson told the podcast: “Tennis.
“Djokovic, Djokovic is the man.”
He was then asked about Carlos Alcaraz, and he replied: “Listen, I didn’t think Djokovic was going to beat him [at the Olympics]. He’s always kicking Djokovic’s a**. It makes me so f***ing mad.”
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Djokovic and Alcaraz have formed something of a blockbuster rivalry over the last two years, playing out some classics.
They have met in the last two Wimbledon finals, with Alcaraz lifting the trophy on both occasions.
The most recent final at the All England Club was a one-sided straight sets victory for the Spaniard.
So when they met at the Olympics in Paris, there were fears it was heading the same way.
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However, Djokovic ground out a phenomenal win to claim the gold medal - the only top prize that was missing from his glittering collection.
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One of the main reasons for Tyson developing his love of the game is through his daughter, Milan.
She is a keen tennis player and has even been coached by Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
Tyson admitted that tennis had ‘changed his life’. He said: “It broadened my horizons and I’m grateful to be involved and meeting everybody. It changed our life.
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“Our whole life has changed over tennis. I thought we were doing well and everything, and everything we were doing was making money, but that’s not bigger than my daughter playing tennis.
“She’s bigger than everything in our life now.
“I see her transcending into something she would never have before if she hadn’t got involved in tennis.
“She has confidence. At 11/12 years old, she has confidence in herself.”
Djokovic has always been the one Tyson has followed though, and labelled him previously as a ‘true fighter’.
The US Open begins on Monday with the Serbian hoping to claim a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
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