For two men and athletes who have never met in person, Novak Djokovic and Virat Kohli share an unusually personal connection. The bond began with a message over Instagram, and what followed was not just a polite exchange between two global sporting icons, but the start of something more meaningful, rooted in mutual respect.
They come from different sporting worlds, separated by geography, culture and the nature of their sports. Yet, their journeys feel strikingly similar.
Kohli, 37, and Djokovic, 38, both arrived at a point in their careers where they realised something had to change, not just in their games, but how they lived.
For Kohli, that moment came in 2012. “I was 11 or 12 kgs heavier than what I am now,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph in 2016. “I had a horrible mindset about training, eating the wrong things, drinking, staying up late. Everything was wrong. I changed everything from the next morning,” he said.
That decision didn’t just reshape Kohli the cricketer – it transformed the entire culture. Fitness stopped being an add-on to cricketing skills and became a baseline requirement, especially when he was captain.
Djokovic’s fitness journey is based on being curious, open-minded, and willing to try new things. His fitness routine doesn’t just include working out at the gym. He also pays close attention to his diet, recovery, and mental focus, all of which help him play better.
From switching to a strict gluten-free diet that he feels helped him “feel younger again” to building routines centred around recovery and mindfulness, the 38-year-old has approached his body like a long-term project. What makes their connection more compelling is how naturally it happened.
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“I got in touch with Novak very organically. When I saw his profile on Instagram, I pressed the message button. I thought I would just message him. Then I saw his message already on my DM,” Kohli told bcci.tv in 2024.
“I had never opened it. It was the first time I had opened my own messages. And he’s messaged me himself. So first, I thought, let me just check, maybe it’s a fake account. Then I checked again, it was legitimate. Then we got talking. When I got my 50th ODI century recently, Novak Djokovic put out a story, and sent me a nice message as well, so there is mutual admiration and respect – really nice to connect with global athletes who are excelling at a high level. I have a lot of respect for him and his journey… His passion for fitness is something I dearly follow myself. So there was a lot to connect on,” he added.
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Virat Kohli 🤝 Novak Djokovic
Two 🐐 🐐, one special bond 💙
Virat Kohli shares the story about his newest “text buddy” 👌👌 – By @ameyatilak#TeamIndia | @imVkohli | @DjokerNole | @AustralianOpen
𝙋.𝙎. – “Hey Novak 👋 – Good luck at AO” pic.twitter.com/PEPQnydwJB
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2024
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That sense of admiration runs both ways.
“Virat Kohli and I have been texting a little bit for a few years. We never got the chance to meet in person, but it was an honour and privilege to listen to him speak nicely about me. I admire his career and his achievements. I started to play cricket. I’m not very good at it. I have a task to perfect my cricket skills before I get to India so that I don’t embarrass myself when I am there,” Djokovic told Sony Sports in 2024.
.@SomdevD speaks with tennis legend @DjokerNole, unravelling his bond with India & his inspiring journey to greatness 🙌💙
P.S. – Did you know Djokovic & @imVkohli were text buddies? 🤗#SonySportsNetwork #SlamOfTheGreats #NovakDjokovic #AO2024 #AusOpen | @AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/J9E7xP2koF
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) January 13, 2024
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What stands out is not just the friendship, but what underpins it.
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For more than a decade now, fitness has been as big a factor in both careers as their ability to excel in the sport. Kohli’s consistency in all three formats was powered by his ability to maintain peak physical conditions for years together.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has made a career out of enduring – outlasting the hardest of opponents, both mentally and physically, in matches that have stretched him to the limit. Different sports demand different skills, but the common ground is the same: control what you can and keep improving on it.
It is perhaps fitting, then, that their bond goes beyond admiration and into something more shared.
“Yes, Virat is a friend and someone I, of course, respect and admire. He’s actually, to be honest, the reason why I started following cricket. I haven’t followed it. So through him, I started following it more. And, you know, we keep in touch. And hopefully when I come, I don’t want to say if, when I come to India, hopefully he can join, and then we could do a little bit of tennis, a little bit of cricket, and have fun and just spread, you know, positive, good vibes with people and celebrate sport,” Djokovic told Times Now on Monday.
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For now, the two remain connected from a distance – one dominating cricket grounds, the other continuing to push the boundaries of longevity in tennis. And perhaps that is why they seem to understand each other so well.
