Swimming legend Michael Phelps, who boasts of million fans across the world, was left awestruck when he bumped into another sporting icon at the Rio Olympic Games Village.
He turned out to be none other than 12-time Grand Slam tennis champion Novak Djokovic.
Phelps, the US swimming juggernaut whose 22 Olympic medals include 18 golds, is usually the man inspiring awe among his fellow athletes. But when he bumped into the Serbian star - who completed the career Grand Slam at the French Open this year -- it was Phelps who wanted to commemorate the moment.
"I was like, 'Yeah, that's Djokovic," Phelps said. "You give each other the nod and the smile, and I was like 'I'm saying hi. I don't care, I'm saying hi to him.'
"We ended up talking a little bit about the event schedule and when he was competing and when I was competing and took a photo and wished each other luck and walked away," Phelps said. "He's super-nice, super-down to earth. Easy to talk to.
"It was something that was cool. I've watched so many of his matches on TV, he's had a lot of epic ones."
(With inputs from AFP)
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Rio Olympics: Michael Phelps Star-Struck on Meeting Novak Djokovic
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Michael Phelps, whose 22 Olympic medals in swimming include 18 golds, described Novak Djokovic a 'down-to-earth ' person when the duo met at Rio Olympics.
Michael Phelps (left) greets Novak Djokovic at Rio Games Village. (Image credit: Scott Leightman/Twitter)
Highlights
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Michael Phelps and Novak Djokovic wished each other luck at Games Village
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Michael Phelps won 22 Olympic medals, including 18 golds
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Djokovic won his 12th Grand Slam title in French Open