Watch: Novak Djokovic loses a point against 11-year-old prodigy at Adria Tour
Novak Djokovic has established himself as one of the greatest ambassadors of his home country Serbia, a fact that was reinforced when the Adria Tour kicked off in Belgrade last Saturday.
The host of the tournament that will donate all its proceeds to various charities, Djokovic himself participated in the on-court action over the weekend. However, he couldn't make it past the group stage after he lost a match to compatriot Filip Krajinovic.
During the course of his match with Viktor Troicki, Djokovic faced off against an 11-year-old ball boy going by the name of Mikhail Topic. And much to everyone's surprise, Topic actually got the better of the World No. 1 on one point with an expertly crafted dropshot.
Troicki handed his racket to Topic during the second set and Djokovic rallied with the young boy to loud cheers from the Belgrade crowd. Following the encounter, the 11-year-old thanked both Troicki and Novak Djokovic for the experience through his Instagram handle - which boasts close to 15,000 followers.
It has since emerged that Novak Djokovic has actually been following the development of the young player for many years; Topic has often been seen training at the Novak Tennis Center in Belgrade.
According to Corriere Della Sera, the young boy was discovered by Novak Djokovic's coach Marian Vajda. The Serb was impressed by the young player's talent and immediately placed him under his tutelage; since then, he has been monitoring his training as well as providing financial support.
Novak Djokovic broke into tears during the Adria Tour in Belgrade
After a shock defeat to Filip Krajinovic, Novak Djokovic couldn't make it to the final of his own event - despite defeating Alexander Zverev on Sunday. Addressing a packed 4,000 crowd in Belgrade after his match with Zverev, Djokovic broke down into tears as he was cheered on by the Serbian crowd.
The World No. 1 said:
"I am not crying because I got knocked out of the tournament, I am just overwhelmed by emotion because this reminds me of my childhood."
Overwhelmed by the support he received from his home fans, the Serb further went on to say:
"It’s been an emotional few days and I want to thank everyone who made this possible. The important thing after this match is that we have one of our own in the final. I love you all and thank you so much for turning up."
Novak Djokovic has been criticized by many for hosting the Adria Tour and deliberately disobeying social distancing norms during the course of the event in Belgrade. The Serb even had a personal scare recently after being in close proximity to a Serbian basketball player who has tested positive for coronavirus.
But the Adria Tour now moves on to its next stage, which is to be held in Zadar, Croatia. Djokovic has already landed in the country and has been received by the president of Croatian tennis federation Nikolina Babić.
The Croatian leg of the Adria Tour is set to take place from 19th to 21st June and will also feature hometown stars Marin Cilic, Borna Coric and Donna Vekic.