Djokovic in action against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Monte-Carlo Masters
Tennis superstar and arguably the greatest player to grace the game, Novak Djokovic, throughout the years, has earned a reputation for promoting the game in his country and exchanging notes and parting wisdom with other athletes in Serbia as well.
The latest example of such an act was when Djokovic engaged in conversations with Serbian Paralympians and the World No. 1 posed for pictures as well. Djokovic received a gift from the Paralympian and said a few words, too.
“Thank you, it is a great pleasure and honor for me, you are heroes and inspiration for all of us. Thank you for representing Serbia in the best way in the world, for showing everyone that despite the difficulties, a person can succeed when he believes and wants to. Thank you for that message,” Djokovic said.
Novak Djokovic’ stop-start 2022 season thus far
Djokovic in action in Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship
Novak Djokovic has been fraught with uncertainty this season as the Serbian is unvaccinated and has no intention of getting the jab any time soon. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was unable to compete in competitions in Australia and the United States. Djokovic has only played in two tournaments this year, losing to Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of Dubai and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of Monte-Carlo.
Djokovic also spoke about the disappointment of losing his opening match at the Monte-Carlo masters and how he wasn’t physically prepared for the event and was seen back hitting the practice courts with Dominic Thiem. Thiem is an ideal partner for Djokovic on clay, with the Austrian having reached two finals at Roland Garros and is known for being one of the best clay court players on tour.
Despite being knocked out of the Monte-Carlo Masters in the second round and dropping 90 points from last year, Novak Djokovic will continue to be ranked World No. 1. World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev was 10 points behind Djokovic, but dropped 180 points from his run to the semifinals in the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters.
The likes of Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal are hot on the heels of Djokovic and Medvedev, but the German’s inability to win the tournament after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals means that he failed to close the gap on Djokovic at the top of the rankings.
