The Duvalius Djokovic insect was found inside a cave located on a mountain in western Serbia, Nikola Vezovic, one of the team members who made the discovery, told AFP.
The professor of the Belgrade Faculty of Biology said the organism discovered is “a small, completely blind insect, devoid of the substance that gives color to the skin, while it has long legs and very long antennae”.
The researchers decided to give the insect the name of the Serbian champion, who has won 21 titles in the main tennis tournaments, due to the characteristics of speed, firmness, strength and flexibility that characterize it.
The insect “represents an underground predator, while Novak is a predator on tennis courts,” Vezovic said.
This is not the first time that Novak Djokovic has been a source of inspiration for scientists. Last year, a freshwater snail discovered in Montenegro was called Travuniana Djokovic.
