Novak Djokovic joins Matteo Berrettini and girlfriend Melissa Satta at Champions League semi-final between Milan and Inter
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic attended the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Italian giants AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium. Matteo Berretini and his girlfriend Melissa Satta were also present at the match.
Djokovic is a well-known football enthusiast and a fan of AC Milan. He had previously shared in 2014 that he closely follows the Serie A team with his family, adding that for him football comes second only to tennis given that his father was a professional footballer.
"I’m a big fan of Milan and I’ll always be. For me, football is second only [to] tennis. My father was a professional footballer and at home we always watch the Rossoneri’s games with great interest," Djokovic had said at the time.
On May 10, Djokovic was pictured cheering on AC Milan as they endeavored to reach their first Champions League final since the 2006-2007 season.
Djokovic at San Siro to cheer on AC Milan 🔴⚫️ https://t.co/RI0zEZUFsM
Ciao, @DjokerNole! 🙌⚽ https://t.co/BITymqTWLS
While there, the 22-time Grand Slam champion posed for a pictures with AC Milan stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafael Leao. Both players missed out on the semifinal clash due to injury.
Novak Djokovic is at the San Siro this evening for the UCL semi-final!
🇷🇸🎾 Novak Djokovic is at the San Siro this evening for the UCL semi-final! https://t.co/N2HhjZYrau
Il grande assente #Leao ⚽️
Il tifoso rossonero #Djokovic 🥎
Parata di stelle in tribuna ✨
#MilanInter #ChampionsLeague https://t.co/08pWaNoEHs
During the match, Djokovic spoke to the media in Italian, expressing his close friendship with Ibrahimovic and wishing AC Milan luck.
"Ofcourse with Zlatan, we speak in our language. I'm very close to him. Yes, I feel very close to the whole team, especially Paolo and Zlatan. I wish a nice evening for the I Rossoneri and hopefully for a win tonight. Thank you very much," he said.
Djokovic's fluency in foreign languages 🔥
https://t.co/48GbnqTpFN
Matteo Berretini and his girlfriend Melissa Satta were also pictured taking in the action at the San Siro stadium.
Matteo and his GF also at San Siro 👀 https://t.co/ujlSnIbAa6
Inter Milan defeated AC Milan 2-0 to take the lead in their Champions League semifinal clash. The second leg of the semifinal will take place on May 17.
Novak Djokovic set to begin title defense at Italian Open, Matteo Berrettini misses out
After withdrawing from the Madrid Open, Djokovic will begin his title defense at the ATP Masters 1000 Italian Open in Rome. Following a bye in the first round, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match on Friday.
In 2022, the Serb won his sixth Italian Open title after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6(5) in the final. He did not lose a single set en route to his record-extending 38th ATP Masters 1000 title.
Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini will miss out on his home tournament due to a delay in his recovery from a grade 2 tear to his internal oblique muscle. Berrettini currently holds a 7-6 win/loss record for the season.