Cricket star Virat Kohli has backed his close friend Novak Djokovic to win the Wimbledon 2025 men’s singles title. Kohli expressed hope that Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final and go on to lift a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy and his eighth Wimbledon crown. Speaking to Vijay Amritraj from Centre Court at the All England Club on Monday, 7 July, the former India captain said an eighth title would be a fitting reward for Djokovic’s consistency and hard work.
"I've been in touch with Novak for a while now. We've been exchanging messages, he's been very gracious and kind to stay in touch. So, I would say I want Novak and Carlos to be in the finals and probably want Novak to win this one, so that will be a tremendous thing for him at the stage of career that he is. He is in the conversation for being the greatest of all time, right up there with anyone else, if not the number one, maximum number of grand slams. So, he deserves it. I feel with the amount of hard work he's put in, I really wish he plays Carlos in the finals and he wins," Kohli told Star Sports.
Kohli also named Aryna Sabalenka as his pick for the women’s singles title, saying the world number one would be difficult to beat. "Sabalenka is obviously the world number one. She seems like the favourite now. She has the game and aggression. I think she is going to be tough to put away," he said.
Kohli attended the match with his wife, actor Anushka Sharma. After the match, Kohli posted a message on Instagram calling Djokovic a “gladiator of the sport.” Djokovic replied to Kohli’s post with a message of appreciation.
This was Kohli’s second visit to Centre Court. His first came in 2015 when he joined Sachin Tendulkar in the Royal Box. Also present on Monday were Roger Federer and England cricketers James Anderson and Joe Root.
Djokovic will next face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, who defeated former finalist Marin Cilic in his fourth-round match.