Novak Djokovic commemorated with new court in France that bears his name and picture
Big 3 of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal - have been eulogized not just in the history books, but also in global culture. Federer has a street named after him in Basel, whereas Nadal will soon be getting a monument or a mural in Manacor City.
Novak Djokovic has also been previously immortalized in his hometown in Belgrade. A statue of Djokovic has been erected in the city, and two murals have been created on the apartment building where he took shelter as an 11-year-old during the 1999 NATO bomb raids.Β
But now the name of Novak Djokovic will be immortalized even outside of Belgrade. An association based in France called 'The Etendart' unveiled its project dedicated to the Serb yesterday: a court at the Racine stadium in Clichy bearing his name.
Court embellished with 'Novak Djokovic' aims to popularize tennis among youngsters
The Etendart have collaborated with Lacoste for this initiative, with the objective of promoting tennis among the youth of the city. They even invited former professional tennis player Mansour Bahrami to Clichy-la-Garenne for the inauguration of the court.
"This court is magnificent, you have done an excellent job," Mansour Bahrami said of the court with Novak Djokovic's name and his flag's colors on it.
Colorful and resolutely urban, this renovated land is the first task that's been completed by the Etendart association.
"We take our roots with the new court but also with our premises a few steps from here," Olivier Mairot, the co-founder of the non-profit association, explained. "With Etendart, we don't want to confine ourselves to creating art fields, we want to create meaning with the young people of Clichy over the long term."
Mixing the athletic and artistic for projects with social objectives, the art organization intends to inspire the people of France with the values of the Serb. At the Racine stadium, the field has been repainted by two artists Opera Graphiks and Youssef Sy in blue and red - colors which can be associated both with the French flag and the Serbian flag.
With Novak Djokovic as its symbol, the project is offering a tennis course for 150 children in the city throughout the month of August. This would give a means to let off some steam for those who couldn't go on their vacation due to the global health crisis.
βThis summer, I want to learn how to handle the racquet to have a level. Until now, I watched this sport on TV,β said Leo, a 15-year-old kid.
On one wall, a fresco representing World No. 1 Novak Djokovic synchronizes with the patchwork of colors on the ground. And on the court, among the painted tennis balls and colored shapes, you can distinguish two crocodiles - a nod to the main sponsor of the event Lacoste, who have been endorsed by Novak Djokovic since 2017.
βWhen this proposal of painting Novak Djokovic's icon came to me, I was immediately thrilled,β Youssef Sy said.