Novak Djokovic hosts disabled superfan in Turin during ATP Finals, receives personalized painting of his backhand at Grand Slams
Novak Djokovic recently graciously hosted his superfan, Lorenzo Petrini, at his hotel in Turin during his campaign at the 2023 ATP Finals.
On Friday, November 18, Djokovic defeated Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 in his final group stage match. Jannik Sinner's subsequent 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Holger Rune sealed the Serb's qualification for the semifinals at the year-end championships.
During his campaign in Turin, the 24-time Grand Slam champion took the time to connect with Petrini, who uses a wheelchair, and spent quality time with the devoted fan.
Earlier this week, Petrini took to social media and showcased his painting depicting Djokovic's legendary backhand at the four Grand Slams. He also expressed his desire to personally present the gift to his idol:
"My last "work" dedicated to Nole was amazing. For me, make the entire draw by hand with all details to consider and the difficulties that i had, mainly for my sickness, it was truly a feat but after several months with tenacity, mental strenght and determination i completed it, just like my idol Nole 🐐. This is my gift that i hope to give personally one day to @djokernole . #art #djokovic @ndjokofan," he captioned the post on Instagram.
The World No. 1 recently fulfilled Petrini's wish, graciously inviting him and his family to Turin and hosting them at the player's hotel. The Serb expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the painting and, in return, signed a personal message for Petrini on a Lacoste hat.
Petrini also had the opportunity to tour the facilities at the Pala Alpitour arena and take in the action at the ATP Finals. He thanked the 24-time Grand Slam champion and his team for making his dream a reality and shared highlights from his visit on social media.
"I was a guest at @djokernole for two days, thus making my dream come true, he and his team @xarlygomezh Mark, were incredibly fantastic, I will never stop being grateful for this. See you soon we hope. Idemoo ♿️🇮🇹🇷🇸❤️," he captioned his Instagram post.
"Novak Djokovic was very happy and told me, 'I'll hang it in my house'" - Superfan Lorenzo Petrini on his present for the Serb
Lorenzo Petrini later disclosed that he and Novak Djokovic had bonded over being fans of the Italian football club AC Milan. He also opened up about the Serb's appreciation for his painting, sharing that the World No. 1 had expressed his intention to hang it in his house.
"We hung out with Novak's team manager for an hour and in the afternoon he arrived directly. We talked, joked, celebrated being AC Milan fans together.
"I obviously brought him the painting in the photo, the one without which I would never have been there. He was very happy and told me, 'I'll hang it in my house', he said (via cronachefermane.it) [Translated from Italian].
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will square off against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the 2023 ATP Finals. He won their most recent clash in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final to level their head-to-head record at 2-2.
Should Djokovic emerge victorious against the Spaniard, he will take on the winner of the match between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev in the final.