Novak Djokovic will face off against rising Italian star Flavio Cobolli in the last-32 of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday, with the 22-year-old admitting he ‘likes to defend but also counter-attack’ just like his idol.

Novak Djokovic will face an opponent who idolizes him (Image: (Image: Getty))

In a thrilling match-up at the Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic narrowly escaped an upset, edging out American Alex Michelsen with identical set scores of 7-6 7-6.

The Serbian tennis legend is now slated to face Italian prodigy Flavio Cobolli in the last 32 on Tuesday.

Cobolli, 22, has been vocal about his admiration for Djokovic, who is 15 years his senior. After defeating Stan Wawrinka earlier this week, Cobolli expressed his excitement about playing against his childhood idol.

“He’s my idol from when I started to play tennis,” he shared. “I grew up watching videos of his matches.

“I still go to sleep thinking of his shots, so it’s great to play against him and I want to enjoy every point on this court.”

Cobolli considers Djokovic his idol (Image: (Image: Getty))

Cobolli’s reverence for Djokovic isn’t just about his playstyle; he also seeks to emulate Djokovic’s mental game. Reflecting on his recent performance at the U.S. Open and a victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Canadian Open, Cobolli remarked, “I’ve always had Nole as a reference player.”

“I try to imitate him there too. It’s not just his technique that I like, I like his mentality. I also try to take these little things as examples of what he says during the conference. Since he explained how he transformed the support of a crowd for his opponent positively, I have applied this method”.

Cobolli previously defended Djokovic in early 2022, following his controversial deportation from Victoria just a day before the Australian Open commenced. “Novak Djokovic is my idol. He is going through a difficult time, but he will always remain my idol,” he shared with Tennis World Italia.

“Among the big three (including Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer), he is the one I feel closest to. Because we like to defend but also to counter-attack and we both respond well.”

Djokovic did make a comeback for the tournament in 2023, while Cobolli didn’t qualify until making his Melbourne Park debut this year. He also praised the influence of the former No.1 when he was permitted back in Australia. “For us, it’s important to have Nole in the tour,” he expressed.

“He’s the No. 1 for me, my idol. I hope to see him in Australia and also play some points and some practice there.”