Novak Djokovic channels 'Mamba Mentality' to create more tennis history at US Open

In the moments between sealing victory in the US Open final and being presented with a Grand Slam trophy for a record 24th time, Novak Djokovic had time for a quick wardrobe change.

He peeled off his battle-worn Lacoste tennis polo and slipped on a fresh sky-blue T-shirt with '24' displayed as a jersey number on the back; on the front, a photo of Djokovic alongside the late basketball great Kobe Bryant between the words 'Mamba Forever'.

In a tribute to his friend, Djokovic turned and pointed his thumbs at the numbers – '24' was the number Bryant wore during his legendary Los Angeles Lakers career – before spinning around and pointing his index fingers at the image of Bryant. Four years after retiring, Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in 2020.

"Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winners' mentality when I was struggling with injury and trying to work my way back to the top," Djokovic said during the trophy presentation inside Arthur Ashe Stadium after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a gruelling final on Sunday night for his fourth US Open title.

"He was one of the people I relied on the most, he was always there for support in the most friendly way.

"His passing hurt me deeply and 24 is the jersey he wore at Lakers so I thought it would be nice to acknowledge him."

Bryant, whose nickname was 'Black Mamba', lived by a mantra he called the 'Mamba Mentality', the five pillars of which are: Fearlessness, Relentlessness, Passion, Obsessiveness, and Resilience.

Those pillars have evidently been channelled by Djokovic throughout his incomparable tennis career. More than that, in fact: the Mamba Mentality is the very foundation upon which Djokovic has become the most decorated male