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Hamad Međedović became the world’s best tennis player aged under 21 at the end of last year. Although he lives in Belgrade and loves the capital city, his hometown remains a special place for him; where, as he says, his soul forever resides
sle trijumfa u Džedi.
Sebe opisuje kao pozitivnog momka, pomalo ludog u pozi- tivnom kontekstu, uvek spre- mnog za avanturu. Kaže da je tenis počeo da trenira sa šest go- dina, omiljeno jelo su mu bur- geri, a pevač Eminem. Kada je u pitanju grad u kojem bi želeo da živi, Hama, kako mu je nadi- mak, nema nedoumicu... – Ja sam iz Novog Pazara. Ži- vim u Beogradu deset godina, ali moj rodni grad je posebno me- sto i to je najlepši grad na sve- tu za mene. Da nije teniser, radio bi kao FBI agent, a na pitanje o ambici- jama odgovara kao iz topa. – Postati broj jedan! Hamadov uzor u životu je otac Eldin koji je ispričao ka- ko je Đoković pomogao njego- vom sinu. – Novak se stvarno trudi oko Hamada. Na sve načine: finansij- ski, mentalno i društveno. Sećam se drugog razgovora sa Novakom. Tada smo konkretno razgovara- li oko koraka u Hamadovoj kari- jeri. I evo, iskreno ću vam reći, štipao sam sebe tokom tog raz- govora da bih poverovao da se sve to događa. On mi je predla- gao ideje, šta da radimo u vezi sa Hamadom i sećam se da sam mu rekao: Nole, izvini, ali sve to košta! On nastavlja, predla- že mi trenera, priča kako ćemo, šta ćemo i dodaje: Hamadovo je samo da trenira, ostalo ću ja. Ja mu opet kažem: Nole, to košta! Tada mi je Novak rekao: Edo, ne radim ovo zbog para. Imam gde zarađujem novac. Jednostavno, moja uloga i moj zadatak je da pomognem – ponosan je Eldin Međedović. Već prvog dana Nove godine Hamad će biti u Australiji gde se igra prvi grend slem u sezoni. – Pobeda u Džedi će mi si- gurno dati mnogo samopouzda- nja za 2024. godinu – poručio je uvek skromni Hamad Međedo- vić, momak nove generacije svet- skog tenisa.
Following Belgrade and Novi Sad, Novi Pazar is becoming Serbia’s most important centre of sport. According to the latest data, as many as 95 clubs operate within the framework of the Novi Pazar Sporting Alliance, though there are probably more than 100 of them by now. This city that’s located in the Raška District, at the heart of the former capital of the medieval Ser- bian state, can boast of having nur- tured a new sporting gem. Bring- ing down the curtain on the 2023 tennis season was the Next Gen ATP Finals tournament in Jeddah, where the title was won by Hamad Međedović. This young native of Novi Pazar thus became the best tennis player on the planet aged under 21, and did so just a few days after Novak Đoković proved victorious at the ATP Finals Mas- ters in Turin. It therefore comes as no surprise that Hamad is be- ing compared to Novak, who occu- pies a special place in the fledgling career of this young tennis ace. “I would like to express special thanks to my family and coaches, but also to my tennis role model, Novak Đoković, who is an even greater man than he is a tennis player, so you can imagine just what a great man he is. I share my joy, happiness and success with my fellow natives of Novi Pazar, which is where my soul is, but al- so with the wide circle of friends, neighbours and wonderful people who’ve accepted me in Belgrade,” said Međedović, speaking after his victory in Jeddah. He describes himself as a positive guy who’s a little crazy in a positive context, always ready for an adventure. He says that he started practicing ten- nis at the age of six, burgers are his favourite food and his favourite music artist is Eminem. When it
comes to the city where he’d most like to live, Hama – as he is nick- named – has no doubts... “I am from Novi Pazar. I’ve been living in Belgrade for ten years, but my hometown is a spe- cial place and, for me, is the most beautiful city in the world.” If he wasn’t a tennis player, he would work as an FBI agent, but when asked about his ambitions, he answers as though shot from a cannon: “To become number one!” Hamad’s role model in life is his father, Eldin, who spoke about how Đoković has helped his son. “Novak is really making an ef- fort around Hamad. In every way: financially, mentally and socially. I remember my second conversation with Novak. We then spoke spe- cifically about the steps in Ham- ad’s career. And I will tell you in all honestly that I pinched myself during that conversation, just to make sure that it was all really hap- pening. He proposed ideas to me, about what to do regarding Ham- ad, and I remember saying to him: ‘Nole, I'm sorry, but that all costs money!’ He continued, suggesting a coach to me, talking about how and what we are going to do, and adding: All Hamad has to do is train; I will do the rest. I tell him again: ‘Nole, that costs money!’ Novak then said to me: ‘Edo, I’m not doing this for money. I have where to earn money. Quite sim- ply, my role and task is to help’,” says a proud Eldin Međedović. As of New Year’s Day, Ham- ad is already in Australia, where the first Grand Slam of the sea- son is played. “The victory in Jeddah will certainly give me a lot of confi- dence for 2024,” said the always humble Hamad, a young guy who represents world tennis’s new gen- eration.
Hamad Međedović
rođen je 18. jula 2003. u Novom Pazaru, a trener mu je Viktor Međedović was born on 18 th July 2003 in Novi Pazar,and his coach is Viktor Troicki Troicki Hamad
Stopama Novaka Đokovića / In the footsteps of Novak Đoković Novi Pazar je najlepši grad na svetu Novi Pazar is the world’s most beautiful city
Hamad Međedović postao je krajem prošle godine najbolji teniser planete do 21 godine. Iako živi u Beogradu i voli prestonicu, njegov rodni grad ostaje za njega posebno mesto, gde mu, kako kaže, zauvek živi duša
mada porede sa Novakom, ko- ji zauzima posebno mesto u ka- rijeri mladog tenisera iz Novog Pazara. – Želim da uputim posebnu zahvalnost svojoj porodici i tre- nerima, ali i svom teniskom uzo- ru Novaku Đokoviću, koji je veći čovek nego teniser, a onda mo- žete zamisliti kakva je to gro- mada od čoveka. Radost, sreću i uspeh delim sa svojim sugra- đanima u Novom Pazaru, gde je moja duša, ali i sa širokim kru- gom prijatelja, komšija i divnih ljudi koji su me prihvatili u Be- ogradu – rekao je Međedović po-
Nakon Beograda i No- vog Sada, Novi Pazar posta- je najznačajniji sportski centar u Srbiji. Prema poslednjim po- dacima, u okviru Sportskog sa- veza Novi Pazar postoji čak 95 klubova, ali ih verovatno sada ima i više od 100. Grad smešten u Raškom okrugu, u središtu nekadašnje prestonice srpske srednjovekov-
ne države, može da se pohvali novim sportskim biserom. Zave- sa na tenisku 2023. godinu spu- štena je na turniru „Next Gen“ u Džedi gde je titulu osvojio Hamad Međedović. Mladi Pazarac je ta- ko postao najbolji teniser plane- te do 21 godine, i to samo neko- liko dana posle trijumfa Novaka Đokovića na finalnom mastersu u Torinu. Onda i ne čudi što Ha-
Tekst / Words: Aleksandar Pjevac Fotografije / Photography: Profimedia.rs
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