Novak Djokovic: I Won't Turn My Back on Maria Sharapova

Novak Djokovic says he "feels" for tennis superstar Maria Sharapova -- telling TMZ Sports he hopes she's able to overcome her drug suspension and come back even stronger than before.

Djokovic was at the Lakers game Tuesday night (he's a big Kobe fan) when we asked about the biggest story in his sport ... Sharapova failing a doping test.

The news has damaged Sharapova's deals with her huge sponsors like Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche ... which are all distancing themselves from the tennis superstar.

So, how does Djokovic feel about the situation??

He feels bad for Maria ... but he won't turn his back on her.