 "From fizzy drinks to video games, Djokovic declined multiple commercial deals because he did not believe in the products. Image: Reuters")
A legendary former tennis coach has praised Novak Djokovic after the tennis superstar recently revealed in an interview with Piers Morgan that he refused multiple commercial deals with mega conglomerates as he did not believe in their products and did not want to endorse them to his fans.
While speaking to the famous British TV personality, Morgan, Djokovic revealed that he also declined a multi-million dollar deal with a major fizzy drink company as he did not want to promote its product.
“I refused a lot of the big brands and big paychecks in my career because I cannot represent something that I don’t believe in,” Djokovic said in the interview.
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Fans are speculating that it was either Coca-Cola or Pepsi that failed to land Djokovic as their brand ambassador.
Mouratoglou hails Djokovic, slams critics
Now, tennis great Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka before retiring from the trainer’s role, has hailed Djokovic for prioritising his principles over money, while also slamming the fans who had termed the Serbian as “fake” in the past.
“Most athletes dream of huge sponsorship deals. Novak Djokovic has turned down some of the biggest. And the reason says everything about him,” Mouratoglou wrote on LinkedIn.
“In his conversation with Piers Morgan, Novak Djokovic said something that reveals who he truly is: this is one of the reasons why I’ve always liked Novak so much. He is a true person.
“It’s almost ironic: for years, people said he was the “fake” one. Yet he is probably the least fake person in the entire tennis world.
“Novak has real convictions and money will never make him do something that goes against what he believes. Most people don’t realize how rare that is.”
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Mouratoglou added that he personally knows Djokovic refused to promote video games, saying his ability to turn down big money to avoid endorsing something he doesn’t believe in is a rare quality.
“I know for a fact that he has turned down many deals over the years: because he didn’t believe in the product, because he didn’t align with the company’s values, because he didn’t think video games were good for kids, even if the contract was huge for instance…
“Whether you agree with his views or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that he acts according to them.
“Many will say, ‘It’s easy for him, he’s rich’. But let me tell you something: Most players who make the same kind of money do not turn down contracts for personal beliefs.
“And second: Don’t think that people who have a lot of money don’t want more. For most, it’s never “enough.”
“That’s human nature, especially in a career where you spend 20 years earning almost nothing before finally having a 10–15 year window to secure your financial life.
“That’s why Novak is different. For him, money is not a value. Security matters. Stability matters. But not at the price of his integrity.
“Whether you like Novak or you don’t, this part of his personality deserves respect.”