Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic is set to participate in the US Open after 2 years. He arrived in New York on the back of his title victory at Cincinnati and seems to be in good spirits. His playful side made an appearance during practice, as the crowd was treated to a parody of a few players.
Djokovic is well-known for his spot-on impression of tennis players. This time he took delight in the crowd’s reactions as he channeled his inner Maria Sharapova. It was a flawless impression and Novak did not forget Maria’s trademark grunt either.
It did not just end with Sharapova though. The crowd was so amused and a fan requested him to do John McEnroe next. And Djokovic pulled it off, reenacting his Wimbledon outburst from 1981.
Novak Djokovic the impersonator is back 😂😭
(🎥 @usopen)pic.twitter.com/ST6rDQGEYt
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 23, 2023
The Serbian did not want his coach Goran Ivanisevic to feel left out either. Djokovic wrapped up this fun session with an impression of Nick Kyrgios. Fans had a blast trying to accurately guess the players, and most got Sharapova right.
Sharapova! LOL
— Aicha D. (@YellowRoses423) August 24, 2023
Novak will look to consolidate his place in the title race by winning his 24th Grand Slam. Carlos Alcaraz already thwarted him at Wimbledon, can Djokovic do it this time?
Novak Djokovic’s history at the US Open
The last time Novak Djokovic played at the Flushing Meadows, he saw his dreams of winning a calendar slam get dashed. This was back in 2021 when Djokovic took on Daniil Medvedev in the final and lost.
Djokovic was eyeing to become the first man since Rod Laver to win all four slams in the same season. But the US Open turned out to be the one hurdle he could not overcome that year.
Medvedev defeated Djokovic in three sets. Despite the heavy loss, Novak had declared himself to be the happiest man alive. It was a difficult season for Novak, and he took the loss in his stride.
Djokovic has a complicated history at the Flushing Meadows. Back in 2008, Novak was booed off the court by the crowd due to his comments on Andy Roddick. In 2015, he overcame Roger Federer in the final, who was cheered on boisterously by the crowd.
Controversy followed Djokovic when he was defaulted for accidentally hitting a line judge. It was not easy even in 2021, when the spectators were cheering for Holger Rune. This led Djokovic to say it was, “Not an ideal atmosphere for me,” (via Eurosport).
This is Novak’s first time back in the US since he missed it last year for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. The pressure on him this time is not as much as it was in 2021, but Djokovic still has a point to prove. The US Open begins on August 28th.