Novak Djokovic fan Nikola Djosic has become the first player born in 2007 to play an ATP match
14-year-old Swiss tennis player Nikola Djosic became the first player born in 2007 to play an ATP match, doing so in front of his idol Novak Djokovic’s home fans in Belgrade on Sunday.
Djosic, who has a 10-0 win/loss record on the Juniors circuit in 2022 with two titles in the bag, was granted a wildcard for the qualifying rounds of the Serbia Open. Unfortunately, the Swiss succumbed to a 6-1, 6-2 straight-sets defeat against fellow Djokovic fan Flavio Cobolli.
The 14-year-old has practiced in the past with the World No. 1 on several occasions in his hometown, as evidenced by his many updates on social media. The wildcard’s Instagram bio proudly proclaims that he is a fan of the 20-time Grand Slam champion, while his photos alongside the Serb routinely mention how excited he is to share space with the icon.
“Thanks for this amazing day. I can’t believe it. Thank you all,” Djosic wrote on Instagram in a September post.
With Nikola Djosic not having made it to the main draw, former World No. 30 Franco Davin remains the youngest player to have won a match in the ATP Tour main draw. The Argentinian recorded his first victory at the age of 15 years and one month at the 1985 Argentina Open.
Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a third title at the Serbia Open
Novak Djokovic begins his campaign at the Serbia Open against Hamad Medjedovic or Laslo Djere
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic will soon begin his quest for a third title in front of his home fans at the Serbia Open. Having won the title previously in 2009 and 2011, the World No. 1 fell to an unexpected defeat against Aslan Karatsev in the semifinals last year.
The Serb will headline the event this year alongside Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Karatsev, while defending champion Matteo Berrettini has opted out due to hand surgery.
With the bulk of the field missing out on Belgrade due to the ATP 500 event taking place in Barcelona at the same time, the 34-year-old has the opportunity to get some vital match practice under his belt.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has played only four matches so far this year. After losing to Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championship, he bowed out in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Being the top seed at the Serbia Open, the World No. 1 received a bye in his first round and will take on either Hamad Medjedovic or Laslo Djere in his opener. A potential blockbuster awaits fans in the quarterfinals, as the Serb is on a collision course to meet former US Open champion Dominic Thiem.
