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(Source: Instagram)
India’s Gukesh Dommaraju made history in chess by becoming the youngest-ever chess world champion at just 18 years of age. He defeated the reigning champion, Ding Liren from China, and clinched his world title. After winning the game, Gukesh burst into tears, thinking of what he had achieved at this young age. He will receive 2.5 million dollars as prize money for winning the world championship. His chess inspiration was another Indian legend and former world champion, Vishwanath Anand, from Chennai.
One of the 'Big Three' is my inspiration—Gukesh
He was asked about his biggest inspiration in sports other than chess. Gukesh gave a surprise answer and said, “Right now, it's Novak Djokovic. I think his mentality is one of the best in any sport. For me, Novak’s mentality and his ability to focus are just outstanding.” Gukesh was a huge fan of Novak Djokovic and thinks he is one of the greatest ever players to play tennis. He also wishes to meet him one day and even play some little tennis with him.
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The 18-year-old victory is not only a victory for him; it's a complete victory for the entire Indian sports community. He scripted India’s name in one of the most valued and iconic sports. Tennis and chess test the player's mental toughness rather than physical fitness. So it is obvious that Gukesh drew inspiration from the Serbian tennis legend, who is still going strong and among the top 10 players at this age. He is a part of the ‘Big Four,’ which includes Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
All the other three greats have already announced retirement from tennis, and only Djokovic is standing strong. Many experts believe he will at least play the complete 2025 tennis season and then think about retiring from the great game. The tennis legend wants to strengthen himself more against all the young players like Carlos and Sinner, so he recently joined hands with his old rival Andy Murray and started his training sessions with him for next year's preparation. The two tennis legends who have shared many great tennis moments will now be on the same team.