Novak Djokovic, fresh from his momentous win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Open finals, showcased his jovial side by participating in a tennis game on Arthur Ashe Kids Day. He used some rather unusual tools other than a standard racquet, which caused giggles.
Arthur Ashe Kids Day is an annual children’s tennis event held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York. It commemorates Arthur Ashe, who passed away from AIDS in 1993, and his efforts to uplift young children through tennis. It also serves as a grand opening for the US Open, which begins a day later.
Novak Djokovic uses spatula to play tennis
Novak Djokovic, along with world no.1s Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, American prodigies Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff, took on Youtube content creators ‘Dude Perfect’ in a tennis game that involved unconventional objects being used instead of traditional tennis racquet and ball. The game featured oversized tennis balls and footballs, but the highlight was a singles match between Dude Perfect and Djokovic.
In this match, Djokovic relinquished his racquet and embraced a variety of different objects to level the playing field.
The Serbian superstar employed a frying pan, a wood block, a spatula, a STOP sign, and, lastly, his own hands. In typical Novak style, he still managed to rise above the challenge and win points against the Dudes, who found it hard to defeat even a handicapped Novak Djokovic!
With a spatula in hand, Novak returned the Dudes’ shots perfectly onto the other side of the net. Each of his shots entertained the high-pitched crowd of kids in attendance, who cheered on the Cincinnati champion. He made the Dudes run across the court and to the net before finally finishing the point off with an outrageous volley that had the Dudes running the wrong way.
Novak Djokovic playing with a spatula ahead of the US Open đ
Literally playing with a spatula & he still won the point.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 26, 2023
Djoker, as Novak Djokovic is referred to as, was all smiles as he ran a celebratory lap across the court, shouting ‘YEAH’. The event serves both as an opportunity for young tennis fans to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars but also as a lighthearted preparation for the upcoming US Open.
Novak Djokovic vs. Alexandre Muller match preview
Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a fourth US Open title on 29th August 2023 where he will take on Alexandre Muller in the first-round match. Djokovic is returning to Flushing Meadows after missing out on last year’s event due to his decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
His opponent, Alexandre Muller, is a 26-year-old tennis player from France who is ranked 85th in the world. He is making his main-draw debut in New York, having lost in the first round of qualifying in 2021 and 2022. His most recent grand slam appearance was in the Wimbledon championships where he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in the second round. He hasn’t had much luck either in other events as he lost to Jannik Sinner in the French Open.
In contrast, Novak Djokovic is enjoying a stellar 2023 season. After victories at the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Cincinnati Open along with an appearance at the Wimbledon finals, the 36-year-old veteran topped the all-time earnings list in 2023.
His budding rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz has been captivating to watch. After losing at Wimbledon, he took revenge on the Spaniard in the Western & Southern Open finals. His mental fortitude, baseline proficiency and a knack of wearing his opponents down into making unforced errors have proven insurmountable for top stars like Alcaraz and Ruud.
Alexandre Muller faces a tough task ahead of him this Tuesday and it remains to be seen how much of a challenge he will pose to Djokovic, who is prepared to win his third grand slam of the year.
Speaking ahead of his first-round clash, the Serbian said, “so I’m very excited that I’ll be able to play in the opening night on Monday. come back in front of you know probably loudest fans in sport tennis tennis fans in sport. and um you know I’m just just very very looking forward to that uh it’s been two years. um that I’ve you know when I played last here.”
Did you find Novak Djokovic’s spatula tennis game fun and entertaining? Does Alexandre Muller stand a chance against the belligerent Serbian? Let us know in the comments section below.
