Hilarious scenes at US Open as Novak Djokovic imitates Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios and Goran Ivanisevic during practice
Novak Djokovic was in high spirits while practicing for the 2023 US Open as he treated fans to a display of his imitation skills in New York.
Having recently secured his record-extending 39th ATP Masters title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Open final, Djokovic would be hoping to continue his winning momentum at Flushing Meadows. The Serb is on a quest to win his fourth US Open title and record 24th Major overall.
While gearing up for the season's final Grand Slam, the 36-year-old entertained the packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium by reviving his tradition of imitating other players' serve routines. He began with a spot-on rendition of Maria Sharapova's distinctive serve routine, complete with her trademark grunt.
The Serb also accepted the crowd's requests, pulling off a faultless John McEnroe imitation in response to a fan's enthusiastic shout. He even threw in a reference to the American's famous outburst at the 1981 Wimbledon Championships.
"You cannot be serious," Djokovic shouted after completing the serve.
The Serb wrapped up his mimicry session by impersonating his coach Goran Ivanisevic as well as Nick Kyrgios.
The US Open's official social media handle shared the clip and invited fans to guess the identity of the players being imitated.
"I'd love to see that match played again" - John McEnroe on Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz facing off at US Open 2023
John McEnroe recently lauded Novak Djokovic's "amazing" performance in the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. The former World No. 1 also predicted the Serb would dominate the sport for a few more years.
"He looked amazing [in the Cincinnati final]. It was extremely hot and was struggling with the heat. He somehow found a way. It's unbelievable that he is so good at this age. The way he looks, it looks like he can do it 3-4 more years the way he is going. It's hard to believe that anyone can do it as well he is doing even at this age. It's unprecedented," McEnroe said.
McEnroe also expressed his eagerness to witness another showdown between the 23-time Grand Slam champion and Alcaraz at the US Open, given their track record of producing "incredible" matches.
"To see the all-time great play against the young superstar is incredible. I'd love to see that match played again. The last couple of matches have all been close and incredible matches. Let's hope it lasts," he said.
With his win in Cincinnati, Djokovic leveled his head-to-head against Alcaraz at 2-2. As the top two seeds at the US Open, the duo could play another thrilling title clash in their first-ever meeting in New York.