Djokovic: I want to win to honour my mentor

Novak Djokovic wants to win the French Open in the memory of his former coach and mentor, Jelena Gencic.

Gencic spotted Djokovic’s talent as a six-year-old in Serbia and remained an important person throughout his life. She died of a heart attack on Saturday, and Djokovic’s team kept the news from him until after he had beaten Grigor Dimitrov because they knew it would hit him hard.

The world No 1 spoke movingly and eloquently after beating Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in the fourth round yesterday.