"Novak Djokovic gave me a kiss on the head and his autographed racquet" - Serb's heartfelt gesture despite late French Open finish revealed by fan
A young fan has laid bare an instance of Novak Djokovic's heartwarming generosity that came following the Serb's thrilling win against Lorenzo Musetti in the third round of the French Open. Defending French Open champion Djokovic found himself on the brink of an early exit as Musetti established a two-sets-to-one lead. However, fueled by the crowd in attendance at Court Philippe Chatrier, the World No. 1 rallied to clinch the four hours and 29 minutes marathon.
After the conclusion of the post-match on-court formalities, Djokovic spared some time to interact with his fans before heading to the locker room. At this point, it was well beyond 3 AM local time in Paris.
One fan, named Tom, told Le Parisien that the World No. 1 had come up to him in the stands and planted a kiss on his head. Tom also said that he was gifted an autographed racquet by the Serb.
"He (Djokovic) gave me a kiss on the head and gave me his autographed racquet," Tom said.
Tom's father, Franck, who was in attendance for the titanic French Open encounter, also heaped praise on the 24-time Grand Slam winner. According to Franck, Djokovic "had every reason" to head straight for the locker room after the completion of his on-court interview after the game, considering the time. However, Franck hailed the Serb and said that not every champion in tennis would have done what Djokovic did.
"It was exactly 3:22 a.m. when Novak Djokovic came to see Tom. He had every reason to return to the locker room quickly, but he came and that’s beautiful because not all champions do it," Franck told Le Parisien.
Novak Djokovic had an endearing moment with a ball boy at the 2014 French Open
In 2014, rain delayed proceedings during Djokovic's first-round match against Joao Sousa. With no other option but to wait it out, Djokovic sat down on his bench, with a ball boy holding an umbrella for the Serb.
At this point, the Serb invited the ball boy to sit beside him. Djokovic also proceeded to take the umbrella from the boy, while giving the youngster his racquet in return. For the next few moments, it was the Serb who held the umbrella while the ball boy was all smiles holding Djokovic's racquet.
At the ongoing French Open, the World No. 1's next challenge will be to get the better of No. 23 seed Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round. If Djokovic manages to beat the Argentine and reach the quarterfinals, he will face either Taylor Fritz or Casper Ruud.