Watch: Novak Djokovic cheering for Serbian men's basketball team Crvena Zvezda in their match against Barcelona
Novak Djokovic showed up at Tuesday's EuroLeague basketball match between the Serbian men's team Crvena Zvezda and Barcelona of Spain to support the home team. The match was held at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade and was part of the 2021-22 EuroLeague season that features top basketball clubs from Europe.
Djokovic is a huge fan of basketball and was close friends with one of the legends of the sport, Kobe Bryant. The World No. 1 brought the same intensity while cheering for his favorite team as he does while playing tennis.
😂❤️🔴⚪ @DjokerNole #kkcz https://t.co/GRBLtuf8W6
The Serb received a rousing welcome as he entered the court and was accompanied by fellow tennis player and PTPA member Vasek Pospisil.
Djokovic went through a range of emotions during the match as he cheered enthusiastically for the home team.
However, the result for the home team was disappointing. Crvena Zvezda fell short by a few points and lost the match 69 - 76. After the match, the tennis ace took some photos with the Spanish players, who were equally excited about meeting him.
A photograph posted from the Spanish club's official Instagram account was captioned:
Another sniper on the pitch
Novak Djokovic to be a part of the Serbian team for the 2022 ATP Cup
After a lot of uncertainty, it appears as though Novak Djokovic will be making a trip to Australia after all. He has been named in the Serbian squad for the 2022 ATP Cup. There's also a chance that he will captain the team, as current coach Viktor Troicki won't be accompanying them.
Djokovic led the Serbian team to victory at the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020 where they defeated Spain to win the title. In 2021, they failed to advance past the group stage. For the 2022 edition, they're placed in Group A along with Spain, Chile and Norway.
Australia's vaccination requirements have raised some doubts about whether Djokovic will be making the trip down under. The Serbian did not help clear up the doubts, choosing to sidestep questions regarding his plans for the start of the 2022 season.
Djokovic is a three-time defending champion at the Australian Open. If he plays, he has a good chance at becoming the first male player to win 21 Grand Slam titles. This would also end the World No. 1's current three-way tie with fellow tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.