In Pictures: Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena attend handball player Nikola Karabatic's farewell club match at the Paris-Bercy arena amid French Open
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena were in attendance at the Accor Arena for the final club match of French handball player Nikola Karabatic. Djokovic, who is currently competing in the 2024 French Open, was spotted embracing the Serbian-born French player.
Karabatic is a highly accomplished handball player and is considered one of the greatest in his sport. The Frenchman is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012, and 2020), four-time World Champion (2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017) and four-time European Champion (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024).
At the club level, Karabatic has earned multiple French and German championships. The 40-year-old ended his club career at Paris Saint-German handball on Friday, May 31.
The French player's last match came against his former team Pays d'Aix Université Club handball, Aix-en-Provence, at the Accor Arena (also known as Paris-Bercy Arena).
Djokovic and his wife Jelena attended the monumental match, marking the end of Karabatic's stellar club career.
40-year-old Karabatic's last dance in national colors will come during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Novak Djokovic will take on Lorenzo Musetti in the French Open 2024 3R
By his standards, Novak Djokovic has not been in great form this season. He has not reached a final in any of the five tournaments he has played in 2024 before the French Open.
Most recently, the Serb was ousted by Czech player Tomas Machac at the Geneva Open in the semifinal.
To retain his World No. 1 spot, Djokovic needs to defend his French Open title. He is on his way to doing that after picking two straight-set wins.
In the first round, Djokovic got the better of Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Hubert 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4. In the second round, the Serbian took out Spaniard Roberto Cabellas Baena 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
He has set up a third-round clash with 30th-seed Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday, June 1.
The Italian is also yet to lose a set in this year's French Open. He defeated Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 and got the better of Gael Monfils in the second round 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.
This will be the sixth time Djokovic and Musetti face off in an ATP competition. Currently, the Serb leads 4-1 head-to-head. The last time they clashed was just over a month ago at the Monte-Carlo Masters where Djokovic won 7-5, 6-3.