Rare snail species named after tennis icon Novak Djokovic to ‘acknowledge his inspiring enthusiasm and energy’

A rare freshwater snail species discovered in Montenegro has been named after Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic in acknowledgement of his sporting achievements.

The newly discovered species named Travunijana djokovici was found in a karst spring in the Dinaric Alps near the capital city of Podgorica back in 2019. 

Because it is made of porous limestone, a karstic landscape will feature many caves, underground streams and sinkholes.

The researchers Jozef Grego and Vladimir Pesic, both of the University of Montenegro, who made the scientific discovery, said the gastropod’s naming was not connected with its snailishness, but rather intended to honor the challenges they faced in finding the snail.

“To discover some of the world’s rarest animals that inhabit the unique underground habitats of the Dinaric karst, to reach inaccessible cave and spring habitats and for the restless work during processing of the collected material, you need Novak’s energy and enthusiasm,” they said.

The 33-year-old tennis star clinched his 18th Grand Slam in February, defeating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open.

Last month, he set a new ATP record for the most weeks as world number-one, surpassing Swiss tennis star Roger Federer.

This week, Djokovic suffered his first defeat of 2021, sensationally losing to Britain’s Dan Evans at Monte Carlo.