WATCH: Novak Djokovic & defending champion Daniil Medvedev share a sweet bonding moment before Italian Open 2024 campaign
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was recently spotted greeting the defending Italian Open champion Daniil Medvedev during a practice session in Rome. The Italian Open 2024 is around the corner and the two top seeds will be aiming to excel at the last tournament before Roland Garros.
Djokovic is going through a rough patch this year as he has yet to win a title. He reached the semifinals of the Australian Open but couldn't get past the eventual champion Jannik Sinner. The Serb then made a comeback at Indian Wells and was eyeing a sixth title but was unexpectedly defeated by Luca Nardi in the third round. Djokovic also lost to Casper Ruud in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.
On the other hand, Medvedev has had a rather impressive season albeit without any titles. He reached the final of the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters and also made deep runs at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Miami Open, and Madrid Open. The Russian suffered an injury during his match against Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open but has since recovered.
With the Italian Open now on the horizon, the two top contenders were spotted sharing a heartwarming moment during a practice session before beginning their respective campaigns. Watch the video below:
The men's draw of the Italian Open 2024 will run from May 8 to May 19.
Novak Djokovic will be aiming to win his seventh Italian Open title
Novak Djokovic has not competed on the tour since losing to Casper Ruud at the Monte Carlo Masters this year. The Serb will make a comeback in Rome and look to add a seventh Italian Open trophy to his cabinet.
Djokovic has never lost before the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and boasts an impressive record of 67-11 at the event. He will be defending 180 points as he reached the quarterfinals at the event last year.
The Serb entered the Italian Open as the defending champion in 2023. He defeated Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 in the third round but was defeated by Holger Rune in the quarterfinals. The 37-year-old won his last Italian Open title in 2022 where he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6(5) in the final.
Daniil Medvedev is also one of the favorites to win the Italian Open. The defending champion won his first clay court title at the event last year, defeating Danish player Holger Rune 7-5, 7-5 in the final.