Serena Williams makes surprise Miami Open appearance for Novak Djokovic’s clash against Lorenzo Musetti, Juan Martin del Potro cheers from Serb's box
Serena Williams and Juan Martin Del Potro were among the high-profile attendees at the Hard Rock Stadium on March 25, 2025, where they witnessed Novak Djokovic face Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 16 of the Miami Open. Djokovic dominated the match, winning 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 23 minutes to reach his eighth quarterfinal at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Djokovic, appearing in Miami for the 14th time, earned a first-round bye and then beat Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6(1) in his opening match. He then beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-1, 7-6(1) to set up a clash with 15th seed Musetti. The Serbian ace breezed through the Italian to book a quarterfinal spot, where he will meet 24th seed Sebastian Korda on March 26.
It will be their second meeting on the ATP Tour, with their previous meeting having been in the 2023 Adelaide International final, where Djokovic won a three-set thriller. The victor of this match will play either 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo or 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals.
Different sports media websites shared photos and videos of the retired tennis players observing the match:
Williams boasts a historical record in Miami with eight women's singles titles there, which she achieved with a remarkable 76-9 win-loss record. Del Potro, meanwhile, is a two-time semifinalist in Miami and boasts a 19-10 win-loss record.
Novak Djokovic reacts to Serena Williams and Juan Martin del Potro attending his Miami Open match
After his Round of 16 win at the 2025 Miami Open, Novak Djokovic shared his excitement about having Serena Williams and Juan Martin del Potro in attendance. He called it an "amazing" moment, especially with Del Potro sitting in his box for the first time, expressing gratitude for his support.
"I was starstruck! It was amazing to see first DelPo, obviously a long-time friend and a rival, so happy to have him around and get his support from the box. It was amazing, it was [the] first time to have DelPo in the box, so I want to thank him really for coming," he said in his on-court interview.
The Serb was also surprised to see Williams and recalled a fun exchange where he hit a passing shot and playfully asked for her approval. She gave him the nod, which he joked meant it must have been incredible.
"And Serena, that was a surprise. I didn't know. Actually, when I had that down-the-line passing shot, I pointed to her and asked her whether it was okay. She kind of said, 'Yeah, it was fine'. If Serena says it was fine, then it was amazing by everyone else's standards. So yeah, great to have them," he added.
The victor of the quarterfinal will play either 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo or 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals.