Novak Djokovic attends Serie A clash between Juventus and Cagliari in Turin ahead of ATP Finals opener
Novak Djokovic recently attended the Serie A clash between Juventus and Cagliari in Turin, ahead of his tournament opener at the 2023 ATP Finals.
Djokovic is currently in Italy for the year-end championships, pursuing a record seventh ATP Finals title to break his tie with Roger Federer for most titles at the event. The Serb will also aim to clinch a record-extending eighth-year-end No. 1 finish during his campaign.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who is an avid soccer fan and passionate supporter of Serie A club AC Milan, attended Juventus' home game against Cagliari at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, on Saturday, November 11.
The Serb witnessed Juventus' 2-1 victory over Cagliari, which propelled them to the top spot in the Serie A table. Alberto Dossena scored Cagliari's solitary goal, while Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani found the net to secure Juventus' win.
Djokovic's presence at the match comes as no surprise given his well-known passion for soccer. Last month, amid his Paris Masters campaign, the World No. 1 also attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony, where he had the honor of presenting the 2023 Ballon d'Or Feminin award to Spain and Barcelona Femeni star, Aitana Bonmati.
Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Holger Rune in ATP Finals opener
Novak Djokovic headlines the Green Group at the 2023 ATP Finals. He will compete against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner for a place in the semifinals.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will kick off his campaign against Rune on Sunday, November 12. The pair will lock horns in a rematch of their Paris Masters quarterfinal, which saw the Serb emerge victorious to level their head-to-head record at 2-2.
In a recent interview, the World No. 1 stated that he expected a tough match against Rune and highlighted the similarities in their style of play.
"Rune and I play similar tennis, we move well and defend well, he is very concrete and like me, he shows a lot of energy on the court. I can’t wait to face him, having him in the group we will play against him for the second time in a few days, it will certainly be a hard-fought match," he told Ubitennis.
Rune is coached by Boris Becker, who previously worked with Djokovic from 2013 to 2016. The 24-time Grand Slam champion showered praise on Becker's coaching prowess and expressed confidence in the German's ability to positively impact Rune's game.
"Boris is a great coach and will do very well with Holger. I won’t speak badly of him because he is here to listen… (smiling, ed.)" he said.