WATCH: Novak Djokovic presents women's Ballon d'Or to Spanish footballer and Barcelona's central midfielder Aitana Bonmati in Paris
Novak Djokovic recently presented the 2023 Women's Ballon d'Or award to Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmati at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris on Tuesday, 31 October.
The Serbian is currently in the city to mark his attendance at the 2023 Paris Masters, where he received a first-round bye owing to his ranking superiority. This will be Djokovic's first tournament since clinching a record 24 Grand Slam singles at the US Open earlier this season.
Djokovic, a self-confessed football fan, enthusiastically attended his maiden Ballon d'Or ceremony where he was given the distinct pleasure of presenting the Ballon d'Or Féminin award.
Before announcing and bestowing the Ballon d'Or Féminin award to Spaniard Aitana Bonmati, a Barcelona central midfielder, Novak Djokovic stood in front of celebrated footballers from all walks of life to reserve a few words to express his gratification on the auspicious ceremony.
"Good evening everyone, it's a huge honor to be here. Of course, I want to thank the Ballon d'Or and fans for inviting me to be present here, it's a great privilege. Obviously surrounded by the best players in the world and the greatest sport in the world, you know the sport I grew up with, and playing every single day," he said.
The 36-year-old shared his love for the sport and mentioned that he chose between pursuing a career in football and tennis at a very young age.
"My father was a professional football player so I did play it a little bit and I think I was 9-10 years old and I was deciding whether I'm going to play football or tennis so I chose tennis. I don't know if it was a good choice, I think it was (laughing) but of course, I still follow avidly football and I'm a great fan," he added.
Novak Djokovic - "It would be amazing if a Serbian player wins Ballon d'Or"
24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic was one was many sporting celebrities who attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris.
The 36-year-old released a statement on the annual event's website and expressed his enthusiasm for attending his first-ever Ballon d'Or ceremony.
"I've never attended neither Rugby World Cup final nor Ballon d'Or. I'm a huge football fan. Football is by far the most popular sport in the world. I grew up watching football, playing football. My father was a professional for some time. So I'm really excited to be here," he said.
The Serb also spoke about the possibility of somebody from Serbia winning the prestigious award, but admitted that the chances were slim given the dominance of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe.
"It would be amazing if a Serbian player wins Ballon d'Or. We have some good players in our generation. ... With all the players like Messi, Haaland, Mbappe, it's hard to win the Ballon d'Or. I don't know if it's realistic."