They both hit the ball so well that rivals are in awe of them, but they don't play the same sport. One has mastered his art on the pitch, while the other rules the court. But Virat Kohli and Novak Djokovic, separated by sport, are united by mutual admiration for each other.

It all started when Kohli reached out to the record 24-time grand slam champion on social media with a simple greeting. But the former India captain was surprised to see that the tennis maestro had already messaged him. That was the beginning of their friendship.

"I got in touch with Novak very organically, I was just looking at his profile once on Instagram and I just happened to press the message button. I thought I'll just say hello, maybe," Kohli revealed on BCCI's official account on X.

"And then I saw a message from him on my DM already. I never opened it myself... And I was like, let me just check if it's a fake account or something like that.

"But then I checked it again and it was legitimate. And then, yeah, we got talking. We keep exchanging messages every now and then."

The two athletes quickly found common ground, regularly exchanging congratulatory messages on their respective achievements. They both also possess supreme fitness, allowing them to excel even in their mid-30s.

Novak Djokovic. File photo

Djokovic also congratulated Kohli on his 50th ODI century by posting an Instagram story.

"When I got my 50th century recently, he put out a story and he sent me a very nice message as well. So, there's been mutual admiration, respect.

"It's really nice to connect with global athletes who are, you know, excelling at a high level. And I think, collectively, what I think about it is sending out a message of inspiration to the next generation in a way.

"I have a lot of respect for him, his journey, his passion for fitness, something that I dearly follow myself and believe in a lot. So there's a lot to connect on.

"Hopefully, if I happen to be in a country where he is playing. I will definitely catch up with him and just chill out and maybe have a cup of coffee."

Kohli's message for Djokovic came hours after the 36-year-old tennis told the Sony Sports Network that they both are "text buddies".

"Virat Kohli and I have been texting a bit for a few years. We never got a chance to meet in person... I obviously admire all of his career and achievements. I have a task to perfect my cricket skills before I come to India, and don't embarrass myself when I'm there," Djokovic said.

With inputs from PTI