Jose Mourinho admitted that he was left in disbelief after meeting Martina Navratilova at the Italian Open. The Rome manager attended Sunday’s final and watched Daniil Medvedev defeat Holger Rune. But he seemed more starstruck after learning that Navratilova knew who he was, while also catching up with Boris Becker.
Mourinho made multiple appearances at the recent Rome Masters, first turning out to watch Novak Djokovic’s opening match. He was then back in attendance for the men’s singles final and shared an Instagram post about his experience following the match.
“A great Sunday,” he said of his time at the clay-court Masters. Addressing the finalists, he added: “Congrats to @medwed33 and a great future waiting for @holgerrune.”
Mourinho wasn’t the only big name in attendance, as Becker made one of his first appearances at a tennis tournament since being released from prison in December. But it was Navratilova who really made an impression on the Portuguese coach.
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“Good to meet @borisbeckerofficial again and share with him some coaching ideas,” he continued, before turning his attention to the 18-time Grand Slam champion. Mourinho wrote: “I couldn’t believe when the legend @martinanavratilova told me ‘if I was a football player I would love to be your player.’”
An avid tennis fan, The Special One said it was Navratilova who really made him feel that way. “I didn’t even know that you know me!!!!! Thanks a lot Martina to make me feel special. Enjoy your life Boris and Martina, we tennis fans will always love you,” he added.
Mourinho is no stranger to tennis tournaments. He used to regularly attend the ATP Finals when they were staged at the O2 Arena, with the event coinciding with his time as Chelsea boss. After he watched Djokovic defeat Tomas Etcheverry in Rome, the world No 3 detailed just how much of a fan the 60-year-old was.
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“He was coming to watch me play in London, especially in the World Tour finals. We had the tournament there for many years, and he was coaching in London, so he was coming to watch,” the 22-time Major champion said.
“He’s an avid tennis fan. And, of course, one of the greatest football coaches that we have, not just today, but in history. So I’m really honoured that he’s coming to watch, watch my matches. I really appreciate that. A very, very nice person and always was very kind to me and my team.”
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