It isn’t unusual to see athletes from different disciplines exchanging encouragement in the sports world. From Lionel Messi praising Rafael Nadal’s relentless spirit to LeBron James sending words of support to Serena Williams, such gestures often inspire fans.
But this time the story has taken a much heavier turn. Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic reached out to his compatriot and basketball star Bogdan Bogdanović only to hear devastating news about his condition following an injury at EuroBasket 2025.
Did Bogdan Bogdanović Reveal His Injury Status to Novak Djokovic?
In a recent interview with “SportKlub,” Djokovic revealed that he contacted Bogdanović soon after Serbia’s matchup against Portugal, where the shooting guard suffered a hamstring injury. Instead of sharing uplifting words, the conversation carried a heartbreaking update.
“I contacted him as soon as I saw the injury. He told me that he feels it will be okay and that it’s nothing serious, but then we saw that he won’t be able to play. I called him again, and he said that it’s unfortunately a serious injury.”
“I gave some suggestions, how to recover faster, ways to heal quicker, but it seems that won’t help this time,” said Djokovic as per SportKlub.
Novak Djokovic is a big supporter of the Serbian national basketball team. He took the opportunity to send a message of support to Bogdan Bogdanovic and the rest of the team. 🗣️🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/NPjbS3ltyg
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) September 1, 2025
However, the tennis legend didn’t stop there, but also touched on his friendship with the basketball player.
“He’s probably the player I love the most among ours, we have a beautiful friendship. He’s a captain, we all love him, support for him and the whole team. Knowing him, he probably is very frustrated because he can’t be on the court,” added Djokovic.
The incident unfolded late in the first half of Serbia’s August 29 clash with Portugal. On a fast-break drive, Bogdanović suddenly pulled up and started clutching his hamstring in visible discomfort.
He signaled to the bench almost immediately and was forced to limp off the court. Before his exit, the Los Angeles Clippers guard had managed to tally seven points and four rebounds, but his absence was felt for the remainder of the contest.
Despite losing one of their leaders, Serbia maintained their composure. They dictated the game’s pace from the opening tip, holding a slim four-point edge after the first quarter. By halftime, they extended that cushion to a 10-point lead, leaving Portugal scrambling to keep up.
The Portuguese side did make a push in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in a desperate surge, but Serbia held firm to secure an 80–69 victory.
EP: Portugal – Srbija 69:80 (19:23, 14:20, 16:21, 20:16) pic.twitter.com/6XSbSTxyZw
— Butasport.rs (@butasport) August 29, 2025
Shortly after the game, the Serbian Basketball Federation delivered the bad news that Bogdanović would not return for the rest of the tournament.
“Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a hamstring muscle tear which will keep him out of the rest of the championship. In agreement with Bogdan and his club, the Los Angeles Clippers, the captain will spend the next period going through intensive therapies in the United States to recover as fast as possible,” read a part of the statement as per FIBA.
While dealing with this significant setback Serbia must now refocus their efforts on their upcoming challenge as the team is set to face the Czech Republic next on September 1 at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, with tip-off scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile Djokovic himself is showing his skills on the tennis court. The 38-year-old recently made Grand Slam history with his commanding 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff and he has now advanced to the 2025 US Open quarter-finals and has hence proved that age is merely a number for truly elite athletes.
